Cauliflower Mash with Roasted Garlic & Ricotta

Make the stovetop roasted garlic
Combine the oil and garlic in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low and don’t turn it any higher (you impatient people!). The oil will heat slowly and the garlic will begin to gently fizz and sizzle after about 10–15 minutes. Continue cooking until the garlic slowly turns golden brown but stays very soft, another 30–40 minutes (if it gets dark or develops a bubbly, hard outer layer, lower the heat). Turn off the heat and let the garlic sit in the oil on the counter for another hour or two, or up to 24 hours. Strain the garlic from the oil and refrigerate each separately in tightly sealed containers until ready to use. The oil can be used for dipping bread or drizzling on salads, roasted vegetables, or even popcorn (before using, let it come to room temperature or run the jar under warm water for about 1 minute to liquefy).

Make the cauliflower mash
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower until easily pierced with a fork, 15–20 minutes. Drain in a colander, then spread the cauliflower out on paper towels to absorb excess moisture (it should be as dry as possible). Working in batches, place the cauliflower in a food processor with the ricotta, butter, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper and process until almost smooth, leaving a few chunks, 20–30 seconds. Season with more salt and pepper and serve warm, garnished with additional roasted garlic cloves.