Grilled Garlic Breadsticks with Sweet and Zesty Sauce

2 balls (20 ounces each) pizza dough, room temperature

1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼

teaspoon dried oregano

½

teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Heat a grill to medium-high.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough into large rectangles. Use a pizza wheel or knife to cut the dough into long strips, then cut each strip into roughly 5-inch lengths. Set aside.

In a wide, shallow bowl, mix 1/2 tablespoon of the salt, the garlic powder, pepper and onion powder. Place the butter in a second wide, shallow bowl.

One or two at a time, place the strips of dough in the butter and turn to coat evenly. Shake off any excess butter, then lightly dredge the strips through the seasoning mix to coat. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the diced tomatoes (with any juice in the can), remaining salt, garlic cloves, honey, balsamic vinegar, oregano, thyme and hot sauce. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small saucepan and heat over low.

While the sauce heats, arrange the dough strips on the hot grill, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover and grill for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the strips are puffed and lightly browned on the bottoms. Flip and grill, covered, for another minute.

Serve the breadsticks with the dipping sauce.

Serves eight.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 257 calories, 10 g fat (5 g saturated), 40 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein, 19 mg cholesterol, 1,148 mg sodium.

Associated Press