Winning Garlic Recipes: Three Award Winners
Who doesn't love garlic? It smells wonderful, and makes foods taste divine. Give these award winning garlic recipes a try and tell us what you think!
The Farmers’ Almanac garlic recipe contest drew creative entries from across the country. Three winners below cover dinner from start to dessert.
Quick Reference
- Three winners: pizza (entrée), salad (side), pasta (main).
- Best garlic: fresh hardneck garlic, locally grown. Bulb should be firm and heavy.
- Storage: garlic keeps 3-6 months in a cool dry spot.
- Roasted garlic: the secret to deep, mellow garlic flavor. Roast whole bulbs at 400°F for 45 minutes.
- Avoid green sprouts: the green center germ tastes harsh; remove with a knife tip.
- Storage trick: never refrigerate raw garlic; it gets rubbery. Pantry only.
Arrabbiata Sausage Pizza with Roasted Garlic and Fennel Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed, drizzled with olive oil
- ½ cup arrabbiata sauce (spicy tomato)
- ½ lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, torn
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- Fresh basil to finish
- Roast garlic head at 400°F for 45 minutes until soft. Squeeze cloves out and mash.
- Spread pizza dough on a baking sheet.
- Mix mashed roasted garlic into arrabbiata sauce. Spread on dough.
- Top with sausage, mozzarella, and fennel.
- Sprinkle parmesan.
- Bake at 475°F for 12-15 minutes until crust is golden.
- Finish with fresh basil.
Garlic Broccoli Salad with Rosemary and Scallions Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
- 2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
- Blanch broccoli 2 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain, shock in ice water. Pat dry.
- Heat oil over medium. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook until garlic is golden.
- Toss broccoli with garlic-rosemary oil, scallions, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper.
- Top with parmesan and pine nuts.
Mushroom Ragout with Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 2 lbs mushrooms (mix of cremini, shiitake, oyster), sliced
- 6 cloves garlic + 1 whole head garlic for roasting
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Fresh thyme
- 1 lb pappardelle or wide pasta
- Fresh parsley
- Roast cherry tomatoes and whole garlic head with olive oil at 400°F for 25 minutes. Mash roasted garlic with tomatoes.
- Sauté mushrooms in batches in olive oil until golden. Set aside.
- In the same pan, cook onion and remaining sliced garlic.
- Add tomato paste, white wine, broth, roasted tomato-garlic mash. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Return mushrooms to the sauce. Simmer 5 more minutes.
- Toss with cooked pasta. Garnish with thyme and parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you roast garlic?
Cut the top ¼ inch off a whole bulb. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil. Roast at 400°F for 45 minutes. Squeeze cloves out of skins.
Should I refrigerate fresh garlic?
No. Refrigeration makes garlic rubbery. Store in a cool, dry pantry; lasts 3-6 months.
Why does garlic have green sprouts?
The green center is a germinating shoot. It tastes bitter and is best removed with a knife tip before cooking, especially for raw applications.
Is hardneck or softneck garlic better?
Hardneck has more complex flavor and is preferred by chefs; softneck stores longer and is what supermarkets usually sell.
Can I substitute garlic powder for fresh?
Only in a pinch. The flavor is much milder. Use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder per clove of fresh garlic.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
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Who doesn’t like garlic? ME!!!!!!!I absolutely hate it in foods! A garlic clove hasn’t entered my home since I moved out of my parents home in 1977. I know of all the health benefits, but I just cannot stand that taste, neither understand why % 99.99999 of the population loves it. And is not a genetic trend, my mother used to cook with it (although never overwhelming or exaggerated). So I don’t know where my hatred and disgust for garlic is coming from, but still….it’s there
mushroom ragout was excellent added a layer of zoodles inbetween the mushrooms and sauce
Wonderful! Our judges were licking the bowl. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you and I will be trying some of these recipes.
Oh my goodness, TWO HEADS of garlic? These recipes will never be made in my home!
You would have done well to include remedies for the dreaded garlic breath that is certain to follow!
Hi Eva, the good news is that in this recipe, the two heads of garlic are roasted, which mellows the strength a bit. You’ll still have garlic breath though! We do have some good remedies for that here: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/20-natural-bad-breath-cures-24517