Garlic Ciabbata Bread

We had to stop at Fresh & Easy on our way home from MOPS this morning for a couple things, and I saw a loaf of ciabbata bread that had been marked down to $1.47. I figured I'd get it and make some kind of garlic bread with it to go with the spaghetti tonight. Then on our way home I thought I remembered a Barefoot Contessa recipe for garlic bread using a ciabbata loaf. I pulled out the cookbook I thought it was in, but no luck. Then I pulled out a second...no luck. A third...no luck. Finally it was in the last of my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. I knew I had seen one! I'm excited to try it because Ina has never led me astray!

Garlic Bread
Copyright, 2006, Ina Garten
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

*****

I cannot wait to smell this baking in my oven. I don't have any of the fresh herbs for it, but I'm just going to used dried instead. Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about this. Oh, and it was in the Back to Basics cookbook (and on the Food Network website).

*****

Wow. This was awesome garlic bread. The husband said he thought it was the best garlic bread he's ever had. I think it would even be better with fresh herbs, so I'll have to try it that way next time. I had a piece of cold garlic bread this morning, and it was tasty cold, too. This is a definite keeper!! Ina's streak continues!