Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly coat the onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then wrap the onion in aluminum foil, dull side in. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Let stand to cool, venting the aluminum foil.
While the onion is roasting, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl with 1/8 cup of olive oil. Stir and let stand.
When the onion has cooled, open the foil packet, taking care not to spill the juice. Remove the outer peels.
Cut the peeled onion in quarters and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the juice from the packet, the remaining 1/8 cup olive oil, the slivered garlic cloves and the olives. Pulse several times, scraping down the bowl if necessary. The mixture should be coarsely chopped.
Remove to a mixing bowl and stir in the cheese. The mixture should hold together well enough to eat with crackers or bread.
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
¼ cup dry sun-dried tomatoes
3 large cloves of garlic, slivered
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated fine
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2008.