Roasted Garlic Alfredo

This quick and easy pasta uses my base alfredo recipe that we’ve seen variations of many times here in the past couple of years. But in this version, we’re throwing in a big ol’ head of roasted garlic for extra indulgent flavor. Then, we’re mixing in some broccoli at the end to pay homage to my childhood memories of alfredo pasta.

This recipe starts with the star of the show: roasted garlic. Roasting garlic is sooooo easy. The oven does all the work! We just need to lop the top off of a full head of garlic, still in its peel. Then we drizzle it with olive oil, give it a pinch of salt and pepper, wrap it up in a foil pouch, then send it to the oven for about 45 minutes to become soft and sweet. When it’s ready, we’ll give it a bit to cool down, we’ll squeeze all those softened garlic cloves out of their skin, and we’ll mash them up with a fork until they make a smooth paste.

Next, we can work on the sauce. We’ll add a little butter to a skillet, and mix in all of that beautiful mashed roasted garlic. Then, we’ll add some milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese to the skillet which will cook together for a couple minutes until the cheeses melt and the sauce thickens. Cream cheese is my secret ingredient for alfredo sauce, because it adds that thickening component without having to rely on a butter/flour/cream mixture which can break or separate with leftovers. My other secret ingredient in this pasta sauce is garlic powder. Yes, we’re using a whole head of garlic AND garlic powder. But, I think the garlic powder enhances the flavor of the roasted garlic in the most pleasant way. And, it’s really not overpowering at all.

From there, that’s it! We’ll mix in some cooked pasta and some thawed frozen broccoli, and it’s pretty much time to eat. I’ve always preferred a skinnier noodle, so I used linguine for this. But honestly, any long or short cut past works great here. It totally depends on what kind of mood you’re in and what shape of pasta you already have in the pantry.

This bowl of pasta is pure comfort food. It’s rich and creamy and decadent and luxurious. But, it almost feels a little lighter because I make the choice to use a low fat milk and cream cheese option. The broccoli helps to break up some of that richness with the little pops of earthy freshness. It’s just soooo good! And, you could absolutely add some cooked chicken or shrimp to the plate to make it even heartier. It’s not only optional, but recommended.

Besides making my tastebuds and my tummy happy, the nostalgia of this pasta makes my heart happy too. (Even despite all the cream…lol.)

Ok, everyone. Don’t forget to tag me on social media when you make this so that I can see too! I LOVE seeing your recreations!

I hope you all enjoy, and let’s eat!