Since we started the week with a glorious Italian-inspired comfort food dish, it only seems appropriate to add a little something extra special to that dish on this extra day of February. Florentine Garlic Knots are the perfect tender, flakey, chock full of flavor side to a dish boasting pan-fried gnocchi swimming in roasted tomato sauce. Happy Leap Day - enjoy it to the fullest!
The spinach and cheese combination gives these rolls their Florentine-inspired flavor, but if you are feeling like straying with the flavors, go for it. All manner of seasoning blends, chopped herbs/vegetables/greens, and different cheeses can fill these knots. I do like sticking with butter and garlic, though you could make combinations like olive oil and shallot or bacon fat and diced hot pepper also work. Try them as indicated in the recipe first and then tweak the fillings as you see fit from there.
As mentioned above, these rolls work beautifully with Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato Sauce, but just about any pasta dish will be glad to have them. They are also excellent with all manner of soups and stews … so the timing is excellent! Whip up a batch or two and enjoy them with your favorite comfort food tonight!
Florentine Garlic Knots
- 1 (8 oz.) tube crescent roll dough
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 T. finely chopped spinach
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and preheat the oven to 350° F.
Add the butter and garlic to a small saucepan. Heat it over low heat for about 1-2 minutes, until the butter has melted and the garlic is slightly softened.
Remove the crescent roll dough from the tube and roll it out into rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. This should leave you with 8 dough strips.
Add the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to a small bowl and combine well.
Brush the butter and garlic mixture evenly over each dough strip; then sprinkle with the chopped spinach, Italian seasoning, and the cheese mixture onto the strip.
Roll each strip rectangle into a tube, with the buttery cheese and herb mixture inside.
Tie the tubes by crossing one end over the other, and tying them into a knot. This is likely to be messy and that's just fine.
Arrange the knots on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the knots are golden brown and fully baked.
Remove the knots from the oven and brush the tops of the garlic knots with any remaining garlic butter. Sprinkle with any extra shredded cheese.
- Yields: 8 rolls
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes