Roasted Garlic and Arugula Pesto, Two Ways

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but up until last weekend, I had never oven-roasted garlic. My chef husband probably judged me for this. Luckily he was at work while I was playing in the kitchen so he missed the huge mess I made.

I can saute garlic like a champ, but now, after trying the roasted variety, I don’t know if my life will ever be the same.

Seriously. I may or may not have stood over my oven, shoveling an embarrassing amount of baguette into my mouth and burning my fingers as a result of not wanting to waste any of this delicious-ness that didn’t make it into the above mentioned pesto.  It happens.

Do you see all the delicious-ness in the pan?!

If you’ve never roasted garlic, here is an excellent tutorial, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. It’s crazy easy and totally worth it.

I must note, that I only roasted my garlic for about 30 minutes, but I think it’s because my oven is possessed and chooses its own temperature… but that’s a different story… Moral of this story, use your best judgment for roasting times.

Anyway, onto the pesto.

Sidenote:

I don’t know if you knew this or not, but it rained like crazy in Upstate NY last weekend…like 8 inches of rain in three days. Or, if you live near Whiteface Mountain, you got three feet of snow. In May. I’m not kidding. This made national news…

Yup, this is real life. Courtesy of ORDA/Whiteface and AP

Luckily, I missed the snowfall. And just got stuck with wind, rain and cold. And it was in this lovely weather that I ventured outside to pick arugula from the garden. Brilliant, I know.

Yup, worth it.

But I had to… I had pesto on the brain. And it was totally worth it.

Roasted Garlic & Arugula Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 head of garlic
• 2 cups arugula (less if you want a less peppery pesto)
• 2 good handfuls spinach
• a few tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (more or less depending on how wet you like your pesto)
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

• Rinse spinach and arugula and let dry.
• Roast garlic (if necessary, see tutorial link above). Once garlic is cooled, gently squeeze cloves out of the skin (also in tutorial).
• Put all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth.

The pesto will be perfectly delicious at this point. So you can serve over warm pasta with or without lots of parmesan cheese, spread on a baguette…or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Roasted Garlic and Arugula Pesto Version 2.0: Rollatini

Additional Ingredients:

• Goat Cheese, about 4 oz.
• 1 package lasagna noodles.
• Diced tomatoes (Optional)
• Mozzarella (Optional)

What to do:

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package, drain and lay out on a cookie sheet to dry/cool.
• Pre-heat oven to 375.
• Prepare a large casserole dish by putting a thin layer or diced tomatoes or tomato sauce in the bottom, set aside.
• Prepare pesto exactly the same way as above. Transfer to a medium-sized dish and mix in goat cheese. (If you don’t like lasagna noodles, you can just add the kicked up pesto to cooked pasta of your choice…or bread.)

Tangy, creamy goodness.

• Using a rubber spatula, spread pesto-goat cheese mixture along 2/3 of the lasagna noodles, as pictured below. If using diced tomatoes, sprinkle those on as well (be sure to drain so they don’t get soggy).

So colorful!

• Roll noodles spread-side first.

• Place prepared noodles, open-end down, in prepared casserole dish.
• Top with leftover diced tomatoes.
• Bake for 20 minutes, covered.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until noodles are hot.

Without cheese, delicious.

If using cheese, add at the same time as you top noodles with  diced tomatoes.

Follow same baking instructions. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbling.

With cheese. Delish.

Makes about 5 servings (2 rolls per serving).

Happy Thursday!