How to Make Healthier Olive Garden Breadsticks at Home
Rework the cult fave with whole-grain dough and fresh herbs.
By Sarah-Jane Bedwell
(Photo: Olive Garden)
If you’ve ever stepped foot in an Olive Garden before, you’ve undoubtedly picked from the bottomless basket of warm, fluffy breadsticks (and let’s not forget about that addictive salad, too). Problem is, just one breadstick will set you back 150 calories before dinner’s even begun. (Besides, who just eats one anyway?) That’s why we’ve made over this restaurant fave with healthier ingredients, like whole-grain pizza dough (find it in the bakery section of most grocery stores), fresh herbs and olive oil instead of saturated fat-laden butter. And at just 85 calories each and just as much warm, bready goodness as Olive Garden’s original recipe, these sticks are a smarter way to satisfy your carb cravings.
Related: The Genius Trick for Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Herbed Whole-Grain Breadsticks
INGREDIENTS
1 pound whole-grain pizza dough
4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup marinara sauce, optional
DIRECTIONS
Roll dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle oregano and rosemary over dough. Fold dough over twice; knead a few times. Roll back into a large rectangle. Cut into 16 (4 x 2-inch) rectangles; twist.
Arrange on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush twisted breadsticks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping, if desired. Makes 16 breadsticks.
THE SKINNY (per breadstick): 85 calories, 2g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g protein
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