Garlic Parmesan Dinner Party Rolls

Garlic Knots are a type of garlic bread appetizer found in many pizzerias around the world. They are usually made with pizza dough, and garlic.  They can also be topped with delicious parmesan cheese, sea salt, oregano and/or parsley. A big basket of garlic knots is a great party treat, and is pretty easy to make if you use pre-made pizza dough. Be warned: Make twice as many as you think you will need. You’ll find yourself reaching for another without thinking, and so will your guests.

One of my favorite things about going out to eat for dinner, is the bread. This recipe was inspired from my recent trip to Boca Raton, Florida. My family and I always love to eat at Renzo's Cafe and Pizzeria in Boca Raton, mainly for these unbelieveably delicious garlic knots. Crusty on the outside, soft and light as air within. Our basket keeps getting refilled and we cannot get enough! 

If you love eating bread with your meals, and want to host a dinner party with a little something "special", this would be the perfect way to dress it up and feel accomplished, even if it was terribly easy to make. Your guests will just love them. Here is the recipe:

prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
makes: 9-12 rolls

Ingredients:

Basic Pizza Dough
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
Combine butter and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover, remove from the heat and set aside. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough out into a large rectangle, about 16 by 12 inches. Brush the dough lightly with the olive oil. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into strips about 1 1/4 inches wide. Tie each strip loosely into a knot, stretching gently if necessary, and place on prepared baking sheets about 2-inches apart.

Sprinkle the tops of the knots with sea salt. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 25 minutes.
Bake until golden brown and risen, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss gently with the warm garlic butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, oregano and/or parsley. Add salt to taste if necessary. Serve immediately. These knots can also be made ahead of time and re-heated when needed as well. Serve them with your favorite salad, pasta or just about anything. Enjoy!

Darien resident Janine Vairo is the founder of PartyStyle Box. Janine blogs about party ideas, recipes and decor. She can be reached at partystylebox@gmail.com and at www.partystylebox.com.