Spaghetti With Roasted Garlic

This recipe is from Pasta Cooking by Jeni Wright, c. 2002. The cook's tips (from the book) are as follows. Cook's Tip (from the book): Although you can now buy roasted garlic in supermarkets, it is best ot roast it yourself for this simple recipe, so that it melts into the olive oil and coats the strands of pasta beautifully.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1  bulb of garlic
• 14  ounces spaghetti
• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
•  parmesan cheese, coarsely shredded

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Place the garlic in an oiled baking pan and roast it for 30 minutes.
2. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water according to the package directions.
3. Let the garlic cool, lay it on its side and slice off the top third with a sharp knife.
4. Hold the garlic over a bowl and dig out the flesh from each clove with the point of the knife. When all of the flesh has been added to the bowl, pour in the oil and add plenty of black pepper. Mix well.
5. Drain the pasta and return it to the clean pan. Pour in the oil and garlic mixture and toss the pasta vigorously over medium heat until all the strands are thoroughly coated. Serve immediately with shavings of Parmesan handed separately.
6. VARIATION: For a fiery finish, sprinkle crushed, dried red chilies over the pasta when tossing it with the oil and garlic.