Cheese straws with prosciutto and homemade marinara dip
- Preparation 25 min
- Cooking 25 min
- Servings 20
- Freezing Absolutely
Ads
🏈 Game night, watch party, the snack that gets passed around
This is exactly what belongs on the table during a game. No plate, no fork, everyone just grabs a straw walking by. The idea came to me on a night I wanted something crispy to snack on without cooking a full dinner. It works just as well for hosting friends as it does for a quiet night watching the fight.
🍕 Pizza dough, never puff pastry
I use pizza dough here, not puff pastry. I find it tastes better, softer in the middle and crispy on the edges once rolled tight. If you don’t have any on hand, puff pastry works fine as a backup, but in my kitchen, pizza dough wins every time.
🥫 The dip that changes everything
Nobody else serves their cheese straws with a real homemade marinara dip, and that’s exactly what sets these apart. Two ingredients rolled together in the dough, salty prosciutto and melted cheese, need a tomato sauce with some character to balance it out. A can of tomato sauce and a bit of garlic, dried herbs to finish. Nothing complicated. It changes the whole experience.
Ads
Ads
🍕 Why pizza dough
I use fresh pizza dough because it tastes better than puff pastry once baked. Don’t have any? Puff pastry does the job as a backup, but the result will be a bit more delicate, less chewy.
📏 How thick to roll it
For a rectangle roughly 45 cm by 45 cm, aim for about a quarter inch thick. Thinner and the dough tears while rolling. Thicker and the straws puff up too much and lose their crunch.
🌀 The twist
Four or five twists per strip, no more. Then pinch both ends so they don’t untwist in the oven. That one small step keeps the shape all the way through baking.
🧀 A little cheese leaking out
It leaks a bit while baking, that’s normal. No need to panic when you open the oven.
🔥 The real danger is overbaking
If a straw comes apart a little coming out of the oven, no big deal, people will eat it anyway, a bit messy but it still works. What actually ruins a batch is leaving it too long: the dough turns hard and becomes almost impossible to bite through. Pull the straws as soon as they’re lightly golden, never later.
📅 Prep ahead
I make these completely ahead, right up to the step before baking: dough rolled, cheese and prosciutto in, twists pinched, everything assembled on the tray. I don’t bake them right away. They wait in the fridge, covered, and go in the oven only once people arrive. That way I’m not stuck in the kitchen while everyone’s hanging out.
✅ What to serve with my cheese straws?
They fit right in next to other finger foods on an appetizer table. My English muffin bites with black olives and cheese adds a different texture to the spread, my Doritos sausage bites with cheese sauce are always a hit with kids and adults alike, and my tortilla bites with guacamole and shrimp bring some freshness between richer bites.
Ads
Ingredients
- 1 ball ( 450 g ) of fresh pizza dough
- Olive oil
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- Garlic salt, to taste
- Italian spices, to taste
- 6 slices of prosciutto
Ingredients for the marinara dip
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
- 398 ml can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ads
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover a large baking tray (or two) with parchment paper.
- On a floured work surface, spread the dough into a large rectangle about 45 cm by 45 cm. Brush the dough with a thin stream of olive oil.
- Spread cheese over the dough and press well to crush the cheese in the dough. Sprinkle with garlic salt and Italian spices, to taste.
- Place slices of prosciutto on half of the dough, on the lower part. Fold the top part down and press well with a rolling pin.
- Cut into strips of about 2 cm and turn several times to form straws. Place on the baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overcook, otherwise the dough will become hard!
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan at low heat, add the olive oil and cook the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring.
- Add the tomato sauce and spices then season with salt and pepper. Stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Let cool before serving!
Yes, and it’s actually the best way to do it when hosting. Assemble the straws completely, twist and pinch them, then keep them covered in the fridge unbaked. All that’s left is to bake them once guests arrive, so there’s no running between the kitchen and the living room all night.
After giving each strip four or five twists, pinch both ends firmly before placing it on the tray. Skip that step and the oven’s heat loosens the twist, so the straws straighten out almost flat as they bake.
Yes, and it’s worth freezing a batch. Place them raw on a tray, freeze flat, then transfer to an airtight bag once frozen solid. They bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw. If they’re already baked, just reheat them in the oven. In the fridge, they keep three to four days; in the freezer, about three months.
Store-bought puff pastry works well as a backup. The result is a bit more delicate and less chewy than the pizza dough version, but the straws still turn out crispy and the cheese melts just as well inside.
On an appetizer table, they pair well with other finger foods. My tortilla bites with guacamole and shrimp bring freshness, my Doritos sausage bites with cheese sauce are always a crowd-pleaser with kids, and my homemade marinara sauce is still the best dip for the whole batch.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads