Do you love roasted garlic pasta salad but hate how long it takes to make? Traditionally in takes almost an hour to roast garlic in the oven to get the caramelized flavor and texture. Well there is a way to get something very similar in only two minutes. That method is the microwave, it won’t get you that exact level of caramelization but it will give a similar flavor profile in a fraction of the time. The only downside is you need to make sure not to overcook it or it will not be a great taste, or smell, so until you figure out what time works best try using one minute intervals and checking to make sure is soft and fragrant. In total the meal should take a half hour to make, which is half the amount of time it would take just roast the garlic traditionally. There is one more great thing about this recipe and that is that it only cast $8.53 to make 8 servings. That is only $1.06 per serving, talk about easy on the wallet! Now that you know the basic ideas of this pasta salad let move on to the ingredients.
1 head of garlic
1 pound of pasta shells
3 cups of baby spinach
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
½ Tbsp. of olive oil
¼ a cup of grated parmesan cheese
15 ounces of ricotta cheese
Some salt and pepper to add a little more taste to the meal
Now that you have all your ingredients it is time to start preparing this delicious and in-expensive meal. Start with the head of garlic and chop of the top ½ inch and place the bulb in a microwavable bowl. Once in the bowl drizzle the garlic in ½ a Tbsp. of olive oil and seal the top of the bowl before microwaving it one minute intervals waiting for the soft texture and fragrance to appear. Pull the bowl out of the microwave and allow the garlic to cool. While the garlic is, cooling grab a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for around 10 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. While the pasta is cooking, you can turn your attention back to the garlic. Remove the cloves from the garlic and mince them finely and add to a mid-sized bowl. Now add your ricotta cheese and any salt and pepper you want to add. Now carefully get ½ a cup of the starchy water from your boiling pasta and add it to the bowl and mix the contents. Stir the contents of the bowl until you get a rich smooth sauce. Drain the remaining water from you cooked pasta pot and put the pasta back into the warm empty pot. Add the baby spinach, sliced cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and the sauce from your mid-sized bowl and stir the contents until it is well mixed. Now you have a warm pasta salad ready to be eaten.