Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Braise
- 40 garlic, peeled, whole
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Marinara & Pasta
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
- 400 g rigatoni
- 15 g fresh basil, torn
Seasonings
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 630 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 99 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 720 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 1231 mg
- Calcium
- 181 mg
- Iron
- 6.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 157 mg
- Phosphorus
- 486 mg
- Zinc
- 3.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 54 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 31 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 26 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 23 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the Dutch oven over low heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the peeled whole garlic cloves. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes deeply golden brown and soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Carefully pour the canned crushed tomatoes into the Dutch oven with the braised garlic and oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then partially cover the pot.
While the sauce simmers, bring the large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Reserve a half cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the rigatoni using the colander. Transfer the drained pasta directly into the Dutch oven with the simmering marinara sauce.
Add the torn fresh basil to the pot. Toss the pasta vigorously to coat it completely in the sauce, using splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen the mixture if it seems too thick. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Purchasing high-quality pre-peeled garlic from the produce section transforms this from a labor-intensive project into a fast, weeknight-friendly meal.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce with a more intense baseline garlic flavor, use the back of a wooden spoon to smash half of the soft, braised cloves into the oil before adding the tomatoes. Leave the rest whole for delicious, mellow garlic bursts.
- Emulsifying starchy pasta water into the final dish is crucial. The starches bind the olive oil and tomato juices together, ensuring the sauce grips the wide tubes of the rigatoni perfectly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the marinara sauce separately. Cook fresh pasta when ready to serve.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Troubleshooting
The sauce tastes incredibly bitter.
Cause: The garlic was cooked over heat that was too high and burned during the braising process.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Maintain low, gentle heat when braising the cloves, and stir frequently to ensure even cooking.
The sauce is too watery and sliding off the pasta.
Cause: The pasta was not drained properly, or the sauce needed more time to reduce.
Fix: Continue cooking the pasta and sauce together over medium heat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to allow the starches to thicken the excess liquid.
Prevention: Allow the crushed tomatoes to simmer until slightly thickened before adding the pasta.
Cultural Context
While Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic is a hallmark of rustic French cuisine originating in Provence, this recipe adapts the concept into a plant-based Italian-American context. By treating garlic as the main event rather than a background aromatic, the humble allium yields a complex, caramelized sweetness that naturally balances the acidity of the tomatoes without the need for added sugar.
