There’s a magical transformation that happens to garlic when it sits in a hot oven for a spell. It mellows its sharp flavor and gives the garlic a caramelized sweetness that is crazy good. Tuck it into soups and stews, add it to pasta sauces or upgrade your lunch fare by spreading it on your sandwiches. Plus, when you mash up the roasted softened cloves with some butter and slather it on French bread, you have the makings for insanely tasty garlic bread.

Here’s how:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step 1: Trim the top quarter of a head of garlic to expose the cloves.

Step 2: Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the tops. Season with some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 3: Either place the garlic on a terra cotta garlic roaster with a lid or wrap it in parchment-lined aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 4: Allow the garlic to cool, then carefully squeeze the garlic out of its skins.