Active Time

　　10 minutes

　　Total Time

　　30 minutes

　　Garlic bread is one of the most useful side dishes around. It goes with everything: soup, grilled fish, lasagna—you name it. Find a homemade garlic bread recipe that you love (we’re pretty confident it’s this one) and you’ll reach for it for family dinners, big cookouts, and, of course, whenever you make a big Italian meal. You can even cut it into small squares to serve as an appetizer with antipasti or some marinara for dipping.

　　The key to the best garlic bread is to make sure not to skimp on the flavoring ingredients—the fresh garlic, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese. This crusty version replicates the style of bread you’d find at an old-school Italian American restaurant. We use a loaf of soft Italian bread (though French bread or a soft baguette would also work) and slather it with garlic butter seasoned with parsley, which gives the dish a flavor similar to a typical Italian seasoning mix but is fresher and brighter. After sprinkling the split loaf with Parmesan and baking so that the garlic-butter mixture permeates the entire loaf of bread, we stick the buttery halves under the broiler, where they turn crispy and golden brown. The toasty result is just as good at room temperature as it is hot out of the oven.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

　　½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, well softened

　　1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　1 (15") loaf Italian bread (about 3½" wide)

　　4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

　　

Step 2

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a rounded ¼ tsp. kosher salt using a heavy knife. Stir together softened butter, oil, and garlic paste in a small bowl until combined well; stir in parsley.

　　

Step 3

Halve loaf horizontally and divide butter mixture between halves, spreading it evenly. Divide cheese between halves and spread it in an even layer. Put halves, cheese side up, on a large baking sheet. Cover the bread with a large piece of foil, tenting it slightly on the top and tucking it under the bread. Bake 15 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Remove foil and turn oven to broil. Broil bread until golden, 1–3 minutes. 

　　Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in the July 2013 special issue ‘Gourmet Pasta.’ Head this way for our best pasta recipes →