It's no surprise by now that we're avid fans of jarred, minced garlic. It's easy and quick, reasonably priced and refrigerates for months. Now we have a new favorite garlic to add to our list: pre-peeled cloves of fresh garlic that stay fresh in the refrigerator for a month or more.

The storage issue is huge for us, since we find any fresh garlic bulbs we buy still in the peels tend to spoil before we can use them all. The most expensive food you buy is the food you throw away.

United Media

View larger More photos Photo store

We first saw pre-peeled fresh garlic in the produce section of warehouse-club stores more than a year ago, but the jars were so huge there was no hope of using it all. Then a company called Melissa's introduced the peeled fresh cloves in a reasonably sized, zipper-top bag for about $3.

The 20 cloves are individually vacuum-sealed in groups of four cloves, ensuring they stay impeccably fresh.

We've been using this new garlic in all sorts of predictable ways. Roast the whole bag at once, then use half the cloves in today's recipe for Rotini With Asparagus and Roasted Garlic. Next week, we'll feature a chicken recipe for the remaining cloves.

Write Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016 or e-mail bev-alicia@ desperationdinners.com.

Place the rotini in 2 ½ quarts of boiling water in a 4 ½ -quart or larger pot and cook it at a medium boil for 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the asparagus and break off and discard the tough ends. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. Dice the tomato, unpeeled, placing the pieces and any juices into a 3-quart or larger serving bowl. Chop the roasted garlic, and add it to the bowl. Set aside.

When the rotini has cooked 6 minutes, place the asparagus pieces in the pot with the pasta. Raise the heat to high to bring the pot back to a boil, and then reduce the heat, maintaining a moderate boil. Cook for 3 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender.

Drain the pasta and asparagus into a colander. Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible, then add the pasta mixture to the serving bowl with the tomato and garlic. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss to mix well. Serve at once, garnishing each serving with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (or to taste), if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: Calories 282 (15% from fat) Fat 5 g (1 g saturated) Cholesterol trace Sodium 23 mg Fiber 5 g Carbohydrates 51 g

Preheat the oven to 350 F, or you can use a slow cooker.

Place the garlic cloves in a small bowl. If the cloves are not peeled, cut 1/4 inch from the top of each clove first. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic, and stir until some of the oil is clinging to all of the cloves.

If baking, place the cloves in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil, and fold the foil to seal the cloves tightly. Place the packet in a small baking pan, and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the cloves are soft when pierced with a toothpick.

If using a slow cooker, do not wrap in foil but place the cloves directly inside the crockery pot. Cover the pot, and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours, or on high for 1 1/2 hours, or until the cloves are soft.

Refrigerate the garlic in an airtight container for up to 10 days. (If the cloves are not peeled, squeeze them from their skins before use.)

Makes 20 cloves (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Per teaspoon: Calories 5 (20% from fat) Fat trace Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium trace Fiber trace Carbohydrates 1 g

MENU

Rotini with Asparagus and Roasted Garlic

Fresh pineapple spears

Breadsticks