Save
So last Saturday, my kids had a bunch of pals over and I just threw together these spaghetti-filled bread bowls. Honestly, I was over scrubbing tomato sauce off everything within ten feet of the table. These handy pasta pouches totally fixed that. Jake (my son's buddy who's super picky) plowed through two and begged to take an extra home for his mom. Now the crew asks for them at every single sleepover.
When my sister swung by last month with her legendary picky kid, I made these on the sly. My nephew Tom took a bite and that kid's eyes just went whoa. By the end, he'd polished off two and my sister was grilling me for the secret, writing it all down while giving me epic side-eye.
Essential Ingredients
- Skip soft rolls—they'll just fall apart. Go for crusty ones that can hold their own
- Real garlic is a must, not that jarred stuff or pre-chopped nonsense
- Mozzarella plus parmesan is the dream team for melt and bold flavor
- A bit of wine in the sauce isn't extra, it totally flips the flavor switch
Once I tried it with those pillow-soft Hawaiian rolls—huge mistake. Total sauce sponge disaster. Now I hunt down chewy Portuguese rolls from the bakery, and they're perfect every time.
Save
Simple Step-by-Step Directions
- Baking Magic
- Toss the loaded bread bowls on a tray in the center of your oven. Bake till the outside gets toasty and cheese puddles everywhere—usually around 8-10 minutes for me. Once it's all bubbly, flip that oven to broil and stick around. In just a minute or two you'll see golden brown patches on top. Don't wander off, or you'll come back to charcoal. Let them chill just a couple minutes before you dig in, unless you like scalded mouths (been there, done that).
- Putting It Together
- Crank up the oven and put your hollowed, buttered rolls on a parchment-lined sheet for cleanup sanity. Use tongs to twirl saucy spaghetti into each bowl—tiny swirls keep things tight. Lightly press down, but don't pack it rock-hard. Heap on mozzarella all over, right to the edges so you get those epic cheese stretches. Dust some parmesan over the top so you get a salty, crispy lid.
- Pasta Perfection
- Boil your water super hard, then dump in lots of salt till it tastes salty as heck. Cook the spaghetti two minutes less than the package says for al dente—you want it just underdone since it'll finish up in the oven. Bite one; you should spot a tiny white center. Drain but don't rinse; that sticky surface helps the sauce hug each strand. Mix it into your sauce with tongs and let it chill just a couple minutes so you don't torch your hands.
- Bread Bowl Move
- Find rolls that fit your palm but have space inside for pasta. Cut a lid out of the top and scoop out the insides so you leave a sturdy half-inch shell. (My kids fight for the bread guts every time.) Melt butter with garlic paste, parmesan, and parsley till it smells wild, then hit every side and corner with a pastry brush. The butter both flavors and protects the bread from getting soggy.
- Sauce Setup
- Get a big heavy pan scorching hot and swirl just enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Chuck in diced onions and sauté till golden. Garlic goes in next—stir for about 30 seconds, just till you catch that aroma. Dump in your beef and break it up, cooking till it's really browned. Add tomato paste and let it turn dark and a bit sweet. Splash in the wine, scraping up every brown bit as it cooks away. When the wine's reduced, pour in passata, stock, Worcestershire, a pinch of sugar, and oregano. Let it hang out bubbling till thick—when a spoon leaves a slow-filling groove, it’s ready. Stir in basil and a handful of parm right at the end for serious richness.
Save
That first time, I grabbed squishy dinner rolls and they basically melted away into goo. Next, I got ambitious and tried tough sourdough rolls—my kids still tease me about "mom's cement rolls" from that day. Now Lily's my official rolls assistant. She always sneaks half the bread guts before they turn into breadcrumbs, but I let her since she helps hollow them out like a pro.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I prepare these in advance?
- Definitely! Cook the meat sauce ahead (it keeps in the fridge for 2 days). You can prep the bread bowls earlier in the day. Put it all together and bake just before serving for that crispy texture.
- → What type of bread holds up best?
- Crusty sourdough or French rolls are ideal. They stay firm and don’t go soggy. Choose rolls around 5-6 inches wide with a decent crust.
- → Is it possible to freeze these pasta bowls?
- The sauce freezes great on its own, but the complete bowls don’t freeze well because the bread gets soft after thawing. It’s better to freeze the sauce separately and assemble fresh when needed.
- → What’s a good substitute for red wine?
- Swap red wine for extra beef broth mixed with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for a rich flavor. If you want no alcohol, use all beef broth instead.
- → Can I switch to a different pasta shape?
- Sure thing! Short styles like penne or rotini are awesome and might even be easier to eat this way. Just stick to the same weight of pasta.