The Garlic Trick You Need To Try For More Flavorful Pasta Bowls

Whether dosing buttery noodles with finely sliced garlic or adding the allium in diced form to a penne alla vodka, there's usually never a bad way to incorporate those pungent cloves in pasta. When cooked, garlic brings a welcome sweet-yet-nutty flavor to hearty winter fare like short, fat noodles served with nubs of Italian pork sausage as well as spring-inspired pastas adorned with bright green peas and mint leaves. While most of these recipes require lobes be cut or crushed and then tossed into sauces and cooking oils, there's another way to use garlic when cooking pasta that you likely hadn't thought of: rubbing a halved raw clove across the surface of the serving bowl, which subtly enhances flavor and aroma.

The concept itself is straightforward. Simply peel a garlic clove and slice it in two, but don't immediately use it to coat the bowl. We recommend letting it rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow allicin, garlic's primary compound that's activated once chopped, to fully bloom. After that, spread the clove across whatever vessel you plan on eating out of — bowls, of course, have the advantage when it comes to imparting maximum flavor since they more effectively hug the ingredients than a plate, though material (glass vs. wood vs. plastic) doesn't make a difference. The garlic juice will then seep into whatever you throw into the mix beyond simply dressed noodles.

The dish can be served warm or room temperature, and the result is just a kiss of garlic rather than a full-on mouth punch that some dressings and sauces deliver. The ingredients that go into the bowl — not just the noodles, but also any fresh produce you have on hand and want to use up — will absorb primarily the subtle aroma from the clove. Since flavor is the result of both our senses of taste and smell, you're picking up the garlicky notes without overwhelming the palate with this method. The rubbing-the-clove trick could be a great alternative for anyone with allium gut sensitivity but who still longs for garlic's alluring essence.

Another way to get a toned-down garlic fix is by using an immature form of the plant when cooking. Green garlic can often be found in farmers markets in early spring and may or may not have developed bulbs. That means you're relying on the slender green tops to give recipes a slight kick — though one that is milder and more refreshing than the familiar bulbs. Finally, adding whole, peeled cloves to pasta water as it boils could be another way to mellow out garlic's bite. This method allows you to control how much garlic goes into the roiling bath, and the water's hot temperature mellows the allium's sharp edges.