Garlic Bread with a Twist

When I made the Creamy Fusilli last week I decided to be a little extravagant and put some garlic bread together to have with it.

This is a really flexible little recipe that has potential to be dairy-free, gluten free or even vegan

Firstly, you need to make sure you buy a lovely fresh baguette (or for gluten-busters/vegan the best quality gluten-free/vegan bread you can lay your hands on). Decent bread definitely makes a difference! I used a fresh organic and it was super-delicious.

Next, cut the baguette in half and position on a baking tray (or if you are using a sliced loaf, position single slices on the tray).
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC

Now for the garlic-butter topping! Use a good quality soya or sunflower dairy-free spread. The Pure range works well for this, although I’m sure there must be decent equivalents outside of the U.K.

The quantity you need will depend on how big your baguette is, but don’t worry if you don’t make quite enough... it’s so quick and easy to mix a little extra.

I used 150g soya spread mixed vigorously with 2 crushed garlic cloves... and then mixed in the magic ingredient – a handful of freshly chopped parsley. Hmmmm.

Spread a thick layer on top of the bread and bake for around 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.




And now for a luxury cheesy option (use either a mild lactose-free goat’s cheese or a vegan cheese alternative). Grate a generous layer of cheese on top of the bread and bake for a further 5 minutes.



Great with any pasta dish! Feel free to use more garlic... though be prepared to be ooozing it for a day or two. Hmmm... might be worth it!