Rosati's Dough Nuggets - CopyKat Recipes

Table of Contents

Rosati’s Dough Nuggets are a tasty appetizer of fried pizza dough bites served with marinara sauce. These crispy fried pizza dough bites are a great Italian finger food to make for a party or game day.

copycat Rosati's dough nuggets with a small bowl of marinara sauce.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What Makes These Dough Nuggets So Good

If you are someone who can’t keep your hands off soft breadsticks with dipping sauces, you are going to love this recipe for seasoned fried dough. Pieces of crispy pizza dough surpass the average pizza chain’s breadsticks with its savory seasoning and garlic-butter sauce.

Why You Will Want To Make These Again and Again

Italian fried pizza dough is hot, fresh, and delicious. If you use prepared pizza dough, they are even a breeze to make.

Fried dough nuggets have enough intensity to serve as a standalone snack, but by reducing the seasoning a bit, they are the perfect accompaniment to a soup or salad. With so many possibilities, you better stock up on ingredients for pizza dough!

Ingredients You Will Need

This recipe makes the fried dough from pizza dough, so you’ll need:

You can either make your own or buy it in the store. Many grocery stores have refrigerated pizza for sale, but it can be expensive. Making your own isn’t difficult, but it does require time and a few ingredients:

Water
Dry instant yeast
Olive oil
Bread flour
Salt
Non-stick spray or extra olive oil

Using yeast can be a little intimidating to some people. Don’t worry. You shouldn’t have any problems if you use dry instant yeast that comes in a packet, like Fleischmann’s. You can also use instant yeast from a jar, but single-serve packets are easier.

Bread flour is different from all-purpose flour. Bread flour has more protein, essential for forming a denser structure and chewier consistency.

To make the garlic-butter sauce, you’ll need:

Unsalted butter
Garlic
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

Italian seasoning is not the same as a dry Italian dressing mix. It is a single mix that contains common Italian dried herbs, including basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley. It is the key to this garlic-butter sauce, so make sure you use a good one. Something like McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning that comes with an attached grinder is ideal.

Dipping sauce:

Marinara, or another type of pasta sauce

Rosati's dough nuggets ingredients on a tray.

How To Make Fried Dough With Pizza Dough

To make homemade pizza dough:

Stir together a half cup of warm water and the entire packet of instant yeast. After a few minutes, you should notice bubbles form. Restart with new yeast if you don’t see any bubbles after 5 minutes.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a bread machine, food processor, or just a mixing bowl and dough whisk.
Mix the flour and salt together until combined with the wire whisk attachment. Salt can kill yeast, and distributing it throughout the flour helps protect it.
Pour in the activated yeast, olive oil, and all the room temperature water into the bowl of the stand mixer.
Mix with a dough hook on low until the pizza dough comes off the sides and forms a ball.
Remove the dough and knead for a minute or two.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until it is double in size.
Punch the dough down to release all the gas. At this point, you can bag the dough and refrigerate it for up to three days or freeze it for up to a month.

collage of steps for making pizza dough.

To fry the dough nuggets:

Heat vegetable oil in a fryer or Dutch oven until it reaches 350°F.
Divide the dough in half. Put half onto a floured work surface to come up to room temperature. Return the rest of the dough to the fridge.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick.
Cut the dough into roughly even-sized squares.
Place a paper towel-lined wire rack over a baking tray.
Fry three or four pieces of dough at a time until the first side is golden. Use a spider to flip and fry the other side of the bread. Transfer the fried bread onto the towel-lined wire rack to drain.

To finish the fried pizza dough:

Mix together the Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the melted butter and grated garlic in another large mixing bowl.
Add all the still warm fried bread into the bowl with melted butter. Toss to coat.
Transfer the fried bread into the bowl with seasoning. Toss to coat.
Serve immediately with a side of marinara sauce in a small bowl.

copycat Rosati's dough nuggets and a small bowl of marinara on a platter.

What To Serve With Dough Nuggets

You can enjoy Italian fried pizza dough as a savory snack, but it is also great as a side for salads and soups. If serving as a snack, a sauce or two. marinara sauce, buffalo sauce, melted Velveeta cheese, sour cream dip, and ranch dressing are all great options.

How To Store Leftover Dough Nuggets

You can keep the fried dough inside a sealed bag in the fridge for up to three days.

If you want to keep the fried dough for up to three months, freeze in a single layer on a baking tray and transfer the fried dough nuggets to a freezer-safe container. Thaw the dough before reheating.

How To Best Reheat Dough Nuggets

You can reheat fried dough in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the fried pizza dough on a baking grease baking tray.
Heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot. Turn after 7 minutes.

overhead view of copycat Rosati's dough nuggets with marinara sauce.

Favorite Appetizer Recipes

Popular Pizza Recipes

Check out more of my easy appetizer recipes and the best Italian recipes on CopyKat!