Description
Okay, so picture this: You know how garlic bread is basically the best part of any Italian meal? Well, I had this brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea to turn that crispy, buttery goodness into actual BOWLS and fill them with spaghetti. It’s like edible dinnerware that tastes better than the food inside it. My kids went absolutely crazy for these the first time I made them, and now it’s basically their go-to request for “what’s for dinner?” It’s comfort food meets genius engineering, and honestly, I’m pretty proud of this one.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Garlic Bread Bowls:
- 6 small round crusty bread loaves (like those dinner rolls from the bakery section, but bigger – about 4–5 inches across)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (real butter, not that fake stuff)
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced (or more if you’re like me and believe garlic is a vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (dried works too, but fresh is better)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (yes, in addition to the fresh garlic – we’re going full garlic here)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the good stuff, not the green can)
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat
For the Spaghetti:
- 1 lb spaghetti (or whatever long pasta you’ve got)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (yeah, more garlic – deal with it)
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage (or half and half for the best of both worlds)
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce (or your homemade if you’re feeling fancy)
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, black pepper, dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Extra Parmesan for serving
- Fresh basil for garnish (if you’re trying to impress someone)