Roasted Garlic Crostini

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Arrange the whole heads of garlic in a small dish or wrap them in tin foil. Roast (you don’t have to wait for the oven to heat up, just toss the garlic in as the oven is heating) for 45 minutes or until the top of the garlic bulb is brown and the bulbs are soft. Remove from oven and set aside. Let it cool until you can touch them.

While the garlic cools, slice the bread into 1/2-inch or so slices. Toast the bread any way you like. I toast it in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or so on each side. A toaster or broiler works great too!

When the garlic has cooled, cut each bulb in half crosswise (halving each of the cloves) and squish the roasted garlic flesh out of the peel and into a bowl. Discard the peel. Add the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt into the bowl. Mash with a fork until a paste forms.

Assemble the crostini by spreading the bread with a thin layer of the garlic mixture. Sprinkle with a bit more salt, and shave Parmesan directly over top, if using.

Notes:
– This can be made vegan without the Parmesan.
– If desired, this roasted garlic paste may be used for anything! Mix it into Greek yogurt or sour cream for a dip, stir into mashed potatoes—the sky’s the limit!