If you're looking for the ideal side dish for fresh summery pizzas or Italian antipasto platters, look no further than the recipe below. Garlic bread gets an al fresco treatment when it's thrown on the grill for a delicious char that brings out all of its delicious flavors.
Garlic has a tendency to burn quite easily; this recipe takes several precautions to ensure that's not an issue. Firstly, instead of raw garlic, a roasted garlic purée is used. This can be prepared either in the oven, in advance, or directly on the grill. Once the bread is spread with the soft, sweet garlic purée, it's wrapped in foil before going on the grill to keep it from burning.
Grilled garlic bread
8
20 minutes
1 hour 20 minutes
1 hour 40 minutes
2 heads garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1 loaf Italian bread, halved lengthwise
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, or preheat the grill. Take the top off the heads of garlic, just exposing the cloves. Drizzle with the olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Grill or roast for 1 hour, until the garlic cloves inside are quite soft.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out into a bowl. Mash with a fork and combine with the butter, parsley, chili flakes, and salt.
Spread the bread with the garlic mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Close the loaf and wrap in aluminum foil.
Grill the bread, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10-12 minutes.
Cut the bread into slices and serve.