Spaghetti Garlic Bread Bowls

overhead shot of fork digging into pasta bread bowl

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

These pasta bread bowls are hearty, cheesy, packed with flavour and simple to make!

Prep Time25

Cook Time50

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Western

Servings: bowls

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3.50 / $4

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon (for meat sauce)
Large Pot & Tongs (for spaghetti)
Jug (for stock)
Fine Cheese Grater
Bread Knife
Small Ramekin (for garlic butter)
Brush
Large Tray (preferably lined with baking/parchment paper)

Ingredients

Spaghetti

drizzle of Olive Oil
1 medium White Onion, finely diced
2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
500g / 1lb Minced/Ground Beef (see notes)
1 heaped tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
80ml / 1/3 cup Red Wine (sub more beef stock)
500g / 2 cups Tomato Passata (pureed/strained tomatoes in US)
240ml / 1 cup Beef Stock
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 bunch Fresh Basil, finely diced
1/2 tsp EACH: Dried Oregano, Sugar
20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
200g / 7oz Spaghetti

Bowls

6x Crusty White Rolls (see notes)
100g / 7 tbsp Butter, melted
30g / 1oz Parmesan (I use the fresh dusty variety)
1 heaped tbsp very finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus more to garnish if desired
3 cloves of Garlic, finely grated/minced then mashed into a paste with the side of your knife
200g / 2 cups shredded Mozzarella, or as needed

Instructions

Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until it starts to soften and turn golden then add the garlic and fry for 20 seconds or so. Add the beef and fry until browned all over, breaking it up with your wooden spoon as you go.
Stir in the tomato puree and fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce. Pour in the passata and stock then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano and sugar then season with salt and pepper (I typically start with 1/4 tsp of each). Bring to a simmer then lower the heat and simmer for around 25 minutes until the sauce thickens (see video for consistency guidance). Stir in the parmesan then check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
With around 8 mins to go add the spaghetti to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
While the spaghetti cooks, slice the tops off the rolls and gut out most of the centre. Squish around the outside to help build a protective wall then place the rolls on a large baking tray (preferably lined with baking/parchment paper). In a small pot or ramekin combine the butter, garlic, parsley and parmesan then brush the inside and outside of the rolls.
Once the spaghetti is al dente, use tongs to transfer it straight from the pot into the sauce and toss to combine. Add into the rolls, making sure you finish with some sauce (to prevent the spaghetti burning/drying out). Top with mozzarella then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted. You can also flick on the grill/broiler to crisp the cheese.
Garnish with parsley then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Beef - I like to use 12% fat so you get some fatty flavour without the sauce ending up too oily. If you've only got very fatty mince I recommend draining off the fat before you stir in the tomato puree.

b) Rolls - It's important that you buy rolls that are firm and crusty to ensure they keep their structure as they bake. They should almost sound hollow to tap. I use the 'White Crusty Rolls' from Sainsbury's and they work perfectly (found in the bakery section). If you're concerned your rolls might be too soft just bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 5 minutes or so to dry them out and firm them up a little after gutting out the centre. For reference, the rolls I use are about 12cm/4.5-5" wide.

c) Breadcrumbs - To reduce waste you can blitz up the excess bread you tear out and use them as breadcrumbs at a later date. Tightly store at room temp for as long as the bread stays in date or you can freeze.

d) Make ahead - You can make the meat sauce ahead of time, just allow to completely cool and tightly store in the fridge. Gently reheat before tossing in the pasta (toss in some pasta water to loosen up the sauce if needed). You can also make the garlic butter ahead of time too.

e) Calories - Per bowl.

Nutrition