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Spaghetti Garlic Bread Bowls

Spaghetti garlic bread bowls with a hollowed sourdough base, baked until the edges are golden and crispy. Filled with spaghetti and meat sauce, then finished with mozzarella melting over the rim.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 1050
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread bowls and garlic butter
  • 4 round sourdough bread bowls Look for round loaves sized for individual servings.
  • 4 tbsp butter Melted before mixing with garlic and parsley.
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
Spaghetti and meat sauce
  • 12 oz spaghetti Cooked.
  • 1 lb ground beef Browned and drained.
  • 24 oz marinara sauce One 24 oz jar.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning For the sauce.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes For gentle heat.
Topping and serving
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese Shredded.
  • 1 Parmesan for serving Grated, to serve.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and crisp the bread bowls
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a sheet pan inside if you want extra crisping on the bottoms.
  2. Cut the tops off each bread bowl and hollow out the centers, leaving a 1-inch border. Save the tops if you want to cover them while baking.
  3. Mix melted butter with garlic and parsley, then brush generously inside and outside each bread bowl. Make sure the butter reaches the border for browning.
  4. Bake the prepared bowls for 10 minutes at 375°F until crispy. Look for golden, set edges.
Make the meat sauce
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, then drain the fat. Keep the beef in the skillet.
  2. Add marinara, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the beef. Stir until evenly combined.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. You should see steady bubbling across the surface.
Assemble and bake
  1. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the meat sauce until the noodles are well coated. Use enough sauce so the pasta looks glossy.
  2. Fill each bread bowl generously with the spaghetti and meat sauce. Pack it down slightly to keep the pile from tipping over.
  3. Top each bowl with shredded mozzarella and bake for 8–10 minutes at 375°F. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly over the rim.
  4. Serve immediately with Parmesan for serving. Finish with extra Parmesan on top if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: hollow to a 1-inch border so the bowl holds up after baking and while loaded with saucy spaghetti. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven to re-crisp the bread, not the microwave. Freezing is not recommended because bread bowls soften during thawing. For a lighter option, swap ground beef for 93% lean ground beef to reduce fat while keeping the same sauce flavor.