Creamy Smoked Paprika Linguine

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place the garlic head in a small sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with oil and a tiny pinch of salt. Wrap up and roast 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once the bubbling slows, whisk in the flour. Once fully combined, pour in the wine and whisk about 30 seconds. It won’t burn off. It will just enhance the flavor of the sauce. Add the honey and whisk another 10 seconds. Pour in the milk and slowly whisk until it thickens into a nice cream sauce, 2 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and a small pinch of salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Transfer sauce to a small food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the sauce. They should just slide out of their skins. Blitz the sauce until well combined. Transfer back to sauce pan to keep warm. Oh! Taste it. Need more heat? Add more paprika. Need a little more salt? Do it.

In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain all but about 1/3 cup pasta water and return to pot. Pour the cream sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. If it’s too thick, add some pasta water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.

Serve pasta garnished with breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. And fresh Parmesan. Do that. Good grief do that.