Your Pasta Will Burst With Flavor With This Simple Garlic Trick

Sprinkling curls of umami-packed Parmesan over a serving of Cacio e Pepe is an awesome way to boost the savory flavor of pasta moments before serving. However, there's another trick that will elevate your meal further before you even consider placing it in your serving dish: Rubbing the bowl with a clove of garlic.

To get started, cut your peeled clove of garlic in half to expose its interior. This will release a substance called allicin, the sulphur compound responsible for the distinctive aroma and taste of garlic. You should find that the allicin appears as an almost sticky sheen-like liquid on the surface of the exposed flesh. Next, rub the cut side of the clove all over your serving bowl, taking care to cover the base and sides. When you place your pasta in your bowl and give it a gentle toss, your dish will be suffused with a burst of garlicky flavor that lends it a complete quality and scrumptious depth. Better yet, this hack works on hot pasta dishes, like spaghetti Bolognese and fettuccine alfredo, to cold pasta salads made with fusilli or penne.

This trick might ring some bells if you've made Italian bruschetta or Spanish pan con tomate before. Both of these dishes are prepared by rubbing a cut clove of garlic on toasted slices of still-hot bread. The warmth from the toast volatilizes the aroma of the garlic, lending the dish an inviting, savory fragrance.

The aroma of garlic is at its strongest when it's minced into small pieces. This occurs because the action of chopping the cloves catalyzes a chemical reaction between alliin (an amino acid derivative) and the enzyme alliinase in the garlic, which produces the allicin. The more finely you mince your garlic, the more allicin is made, resulting in a fiercely pungent aroma and flavor. Conversely, slicing your clove in half exposes less surface area thereby releasing a smaller amount of allicin, which is why you can rub it over a bowl without it emitting an overpoweringly harsh smell. The pasta and the accompanying sauce meld with the mild garlicky aroma, producing a dish that has a rounded flavor and a delicious note of allium in the background. As the smell of the garlic hits the nose, it combines with the taste of the pasta, allowing the brain to better perceive its flavor.

Allicin becomes inactive when it's exposed to heat or an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or lemon juice. This subdues the flavor and taste of freshly cut garlic, lending it a mellower quality that isn't as biting. Adding minced garlic to a salad dressing is a great way to benefit from its savory character and tone down its severity.