Cacio e Pepe Monkey Bread
Crowd pleaser alert! I’ve given the traditionally sweet Monkey Bread a savory twist that’s perfect for game night, that Oscar viewing party or anytime you want to feed lots of hungry mouths. The flavors of classic Italian dish Pasta Cacio e Pepe— pecorino cheese and black pepper— are combined with pizza dough for the perfect shareable pull-apart appetizer. I’ve also added a bit of mozzarella for some extra cheesy goodness. How bad can that be? The pepper butter dipping sauce is the final decadent finish, though some warmed marinara sauce would definitely be delicious.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
5 tbsp olive oil
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tbsp)
36 oz frozen pizza dough, defrosted
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated parmesan or pecorino, plus more for finishing
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp black pepper, plus more for finishing
Flat leaf parsley, for garnish
METHOD
Melt butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
In a bowl, add parmesan cheese and salt and mix to combine.
Preheat oven to 350F and butter a 12 cup tube pan or Bundt pan. Separate dough into 1 oz pieces and roll into balls. Dip balls into butter pepper mixture, then roll parmesan. Place dough balls in prepared pan along the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle mozzarella (try to sprinkle in the center, leaving a bit of a border). Repeat the dipping process with remaining dough balls. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for an hour until approximately doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400F. Bake until golden brown— approximately 45 minutes. If top gets too dark, place a sheet of tin foil on top. Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining parmesan and black pepper and garnish with parsley. Serve warm with remaining pepper butter for dipping.