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Spaghetti Garlic Bread Bowls

Spaghetti garlic bread bowls with a hollowed sourdough bread bowl, oven-crisp edges, and spaghetti in hearty meat sauce. Garlic butter glistens on the bread exterior while mozzarella melts over the rim for an easy bread bowl dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread bowls
  • 4 round sourdough bread bowls
Garlic butter
  • 4 tbsp butter melted
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Spaghetti and sauce
  • 12 oz spaghetti cooked
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 24 oz marinara sauce 1 jar
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Cheese and serving
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 0.25 Parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and crisp the bread bowls
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a sheet pan inside so the bowls start baking as soon as they go in.
  2. Cut the tops off each bread bowl and hollow out the centers, leaving a 1-inch border. Keep the tops nearby in case you want to cover the bowls while baking.
  3. Mix the melted butter with the minced garlic and chopped parsley, then brush generously inside and outside each bread bowl. Make sure the exterior gets a good coating for crisp, golden edges.
  4. Bake the bread bowls for 10 minutes at 375°F until they look crispy. The bread should feel firmer and hold its shape.
Make the meat sauce and fill
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, then drain excess fat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
  2. Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir to combine.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. Let it thicken slightly so it coats the spaghetti.
  4. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the meat sauce and fill each bread bowl generously. Pack it in so the bowls are heaped.
Bake and serve
  1. Top each bread bowl with shredded mozzarella. Cover the spaghetti so the cheese melts over the rim.
  2. Bake for 8–10 minutes at 375°F until the cheese is melted and bubbly. The bread edges should stay golden and crisp.
  3. Serve with Parmesan on top. Finish immediately while the cheese is still hot.

Notes

Pro tip: hollow the bread evenly and keep a steady 1-inch border so the bowls won’t collapse under the sauce. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven or toaster oven until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the bread texture softens after thawing. For a lighter swap, use lean ground beef (or ground turkey) and reduced-fat mozzarella.