Garlic Confit Pesto Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Take this easy weeknight dinner recipe to the next level by adding my famous garlic confit. With only 10 minutes of prep time, you can whip up this amazing garlic confit pesto pasta any night of the week!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Confit Cooking Time2

Total Time2 25

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Daen Lia

Ingredients

For the Garlic Confit

2 bulbs garlic peeled
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt

For the Pesto

garlic confit
garlic infused olive oil from the confit
1 cup fresh basil
¼ cup pine nuts
1.4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese grated
0.7 ounce Parmesan cheese grated

For the Pasta

9 ounces dried pasta such as pipette or rigatoni
salt to taste
1 cup pasta water reserved from cooking the pasta

For Garnish

4.5 ounces buratta

Imperial (US) - Metric

Instructions

Making the Garlic Confit

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 265°F (130°C).
Peel Garlic: Separate the cloves in the garlic bulbs and place in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and let it stand for 5 minutes, then drain and peel. (Soaking the garlic loosens the skins, making them easy to peel off.)
Bake: Place the garlic cloves and a generous amount of salt into an ovenproof dish and cover with olive oil, ensuring that the garlic is fully submerged in olive oil so it does not burn. Roast for 2 hours; the oil will bubble slightly as it cooks. Set aside to cool briefly.
Drain: Remove the garlic cloves from the oil, then reserve the oil for later.

Making the Pesto

Soak Basil: Remove the basil leaves from the stems and soak them in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes. Remove and pat them dry with paper towels.
Toast the pinenuts: In a dry pan on a medium heat, toast the pinenuts until slightly golden and they have a nutty aroma.
Make a Paste: Place the cooked garlic cloves and a generous sprinkle of sea salt into a mortar and pestle and crush until a paste forms. Add the pine nuts and pound until they are broken down but still have some texture to them. Add the basil leaves in three or four batches and pound until you have a bright green paste.
Add Cheese & Oil: Add the grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan in three batches, mixing well between each addition. Gradually stir in the reserved olive oil until the pesto is at a consistency you like.

Finishing the Dish

Cook Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add a generous amount of salt and stir until it's dissolved. Cook the pasta until it's al dente, then drain it, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Mix: Toss the pasta with the pesto, and slowly drizzle in the pasta water until you have a smooth and silky sauce. You may not need the full cup of pasta water, so do this step in batches.
Serve: Transfer the pasta to individual bowls and top each serving with burrata, basil leaves, and chili flakes if you desire. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Video

Notes

I used a mortar and pestle for my pesto, but if you’re missing this kitchen tool or are pressed for time, a food processor also works. Whizzing the pesto into a fine paste can take some patience using a mortar and pestle, but it’s important to do this so it coats the noodles evenly.
Tweak the pesto to suit your tastes, whether it’s adding in some chilli flakes for a kick or lemon juice for some acidity. This recipe is a great starting point; let your imagination take flight!

Nutrition