Garlic lovers should definitely learn how to roast garlic! It’s super easy and turns the raw, often sharp, strong garlic into a creamy, mild, spreadable treat. There are many roasted garlic recipes, and mine includes Vermouth, which elevates it to another level. 
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We just got home from a delightful weekend visiting my brother in Santa Cruz. One of the things I love about driving up north is passing through Gilroy and other California farm towns. When you open your windows in Gilroy, the strong, wonderful scent of garlic is in the air, and there are signs for fresh-picked garlic, strawberries and cherries about every 100 yards.
I was super excited to stop at one of the cute farm “markets” to get some of wonderful produce. My 5-year old said he wanted to get out of the car with me to choose something — he was sort of disappointed when he realized that this “market” didn’t sell toys or pastries.
However, he got over it quickly when he tasted a gorgeous, bright red strawberry that had just come out of the ground. Yum! We bought a flat! My cute little guy also chose the biggest, most beautiful bag of garlic!
Roasted garlic is without question one of my favorite foods. And roasting also happens to be one of my favorite cooking techniques.
I love slowly drawing out the natural sugars and flavors of foods. Delicious! So I really want to teach you how to roast garlic.
How To Roast Garlic
- There are of course hundreds or roasted garlic recipes, but I’ve always made mine the same way — with olive oil and Vermouth! It’s a tried and true recipe that everyone seems to love.
- Roasting will often intensify flavors. For example, oven-roasted tomatoes will become incredibly sweet and rich. Interestingly, when you roast garlic, the flavor does the opposite — it mellows out! It goes from sharp and pungent to sweet, creamy and unbelievably aromatic.
- Roasted garlic is an ingredient in many recipes, and it’s also fantastic on its own, spread over crusty bread. It’s dreamy! (And please, don’t get me wrong, I also love the strong flavor of raw, biting garlic!)
Since its existence, garlic has offered dozens of health benefits, so many that it’s often called a “cure-all” food.
Garlic Central is a great resource to learn more about why to love and eat lots of garlic!
And there’s another benefit of roasting garlic — the amazing aroma that will fill your home! This is, of course, great weekend cooking!
Now that you know how to roast garlic, I suspect you’ll be doing it often. While I love this one, I hope you try other roasted garlic recipes, too! This is something it’s fun to experiment with.
Enjoy!
This easy method of roasting garlic will turn sharp, strong garlic into a creamy, mild, spreadable treat.
*Calories are per head of garlic, not per serving. Servings will vary, depending on how the roasted garlic is used.
- 6 heads garlic (about 3-ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons Vermouth
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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Cut approximately 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch off the top of each head of garlic and save the removed portion. Place all of the garlic -- and the top portions -- face up on a large piece of heavy-duty foil or in a shallow, oven-proof ceramic pot fitted with a lid. Drizzle the vermouth and the olive oil evenly over the open cloves. Season with salt and pepper. Seal the foil tightly (or cover your ceramic pot) and place it on a baking sheet in the preheated oven.
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Roast until the garlic is super soft and will easily squeeze out of the skin, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
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Unwrap the foil (or uncover your pot) and let the garlic cool until it's comfortable to touch. Then squeeze the soft, creamy garlic out of its skin -- or, if you'd like to keep the cloves whole, use a paring knife to help you gently remove them.
Years ago, my friend Aimée told me she adds vermouth to garlic when she roasts it. I tried it and have added it almost every time since. Try it with and without and see what suits you.
I realize there are a few out there with an aversion to garlic, but you might feel differently after you roast it! Give it a go!
Recommended item for this recipe:
Julia says
May 31, 2011 at 5:13 pmGarlic ice cream, did you see it there? Not gonna lie, Im super tempted to try making it, I love garlic THAT much!
valentina says
February 21, 2015 at 12:08 amJulia, I’m intrigued! Report back about the ice cream. 🙂
LDKS says
June 2, 2011 at 7:57 pmI LOVE roasted garlic, but these photos make it so appealing that people who don’t
know if they love it yet will want to try it. The vermouth is an interesting idea too–I never
know what to do with opened vermouth.
valentina says
February 21, 2015 at 12:08 amNow you know, LKS! Save it for the garlic. xoxo
Sarah says
September 30, 2013 at 8:08 pmNot sure how long to roast for but after going to an amazing deli over the weekend and getting some roasted garlic for my hubby I had to go to the store to get 6 heads of garlic to try this. Yummy!!!
valentina says
October 1, 2013 at 5:40 amHi Sarah, sorry about that — I just edited the recipe to show the cooking time. THANK YOU for letting me know. The garlic will roast for about 1 hr, 15. min. 🙂
razia says
July 2, 2014 at 1:58 pmwhat is vermouth?and where i get vermouth?
valentina says
July 2, 2014 at 2:50 pmVermouth is a red or white wine flavored with aromatic herbs. It’s usually made in France or Italy, but you should be able to find it in most liquor stores. Hope you do. Thanks for visiting m site. 🙂
MARGARET says
February 19, 2015 at 10:46 amGreat!
My mom made garlic just like this!
Nice memory!
valentina says
February 21, 2015 at 12:10 amFood memories are the best. So happy I could bring you one, Margaret. 🙂