Spaghetti Boats

A front view of stuffed garlic bread on a white plate with spaghetti.

Spaghetti Boats are a fun & delicious dinner idea that everyone will love. Buttery garlic French bread is hallowed out like a 'boat' and filled with an easy ground beef spaghetti that starts with a jar of pasta sauce. These pasta filled bread boats are a family favorite meal that combined the best of both worlds; spaghetti + cheesy garlic bread.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword spaghetti boats

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 702kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
1 onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces spaghetti noodles

Garlic Bread Boats

1 loaf French bread
1/2 cup salted butter softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a skillet pan, over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook and crumble the ground beef. Once the ground beef is no longer pink drain the excess fat and grease from the pan.
1 pound ground beef, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic
Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Reduce the heat to LOW and allow it to simmer while you cook the spaghetti noodles and prepare the bread boat.
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.
When the pasta is done drain it in a colander but do not rinse it. Add the cooked spaghetti noodles into the ground beef mixture and stir to combine everything together.
^{* Cook to al dente for a firmer pasta or a couple minutes longer for a softer pasta.}
8 ounces spaghetti noodles
While the pasta is cooking prepare the garlic bread boat. Cut a large oval around the top of your bread, leaving at least 1/2-inch border around the edge. Remove the middle section of the bread so you end up with a boat.
^{* Careful not to cut it too deep or wide or it might not hold up to the spaghetti.}
1 loaf French bread
Mix together the softened butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Spread it all over the inside of the bread boat. Place the garlic bread boat onto the prepared sheet pan and cook until toasted, about 5-8 minutes.
1/2 cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Fill the toasted garlic bread boat with the prepared spaghetti from the skillet pan. Top it with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, cut the spaghetti boat into large slices and enjoy!
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Notes

Preparation Tip : Depending on the size of your French bread and how much you hollow it out, there could be a little leftover spaghetti. I love to save that for lunch or my kids will eat it for an after school snack as well. You can also divide the spaghetti mixture (there will be plenty) between two French bread loaves, this is a great way to get more servings if needed. Another option is to cut the French bread loaf in half and then lightly hollow out each half, fill both halves with spaghetti.

Serving Size : If you are serving smaller/younger kids then you can easily get 8 servings from this spaghetti boat.

Spaghetti Noodles : I can only ever find the larger boxes (16 ounces) of noodles. I eyeball it and just grab half of the spaghetti noodles from the box. You can use regular spaghetti noodles, thin spaghetti noodles, or even angel hair spaghetti noodles.

Parsley : You can also use 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley (in place of the 1 teaspoon dried parsley).

Bread : Use a French bread loaf or Italian bread loaf.

Garlic : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste.

Recipe Tips -

Drain The Ground Beef : Make sure all the grease/fat is drained from the ground beef before you add the spaghetti sauce. You don't want any excess grease in the pasta because it will make the bread really soggy really quickly. Use a colander and drain the grease into a can or bowl. Or you can use paper towels and tongs to soak up the grease from inside the skillet pan.
Favorite Spaghetti Sauce : Because this recipe relies on a jar of spaghetti sauce make sure you use one that you love the taste of. I recommend using Rao's Homemade Sauce because it has the best flavor but any of them will do. Pick your favorite!
Toast The Bread First : Toasting the garlic bread first allows the bread to get a crispy exterior and become more firm so it can hold up to the spaghetti easier.
Cutting The French Bread Tip : Make sure that you are not cutting too much out of the center of the bread. You want to have at least 1/2-inch on each side of the boat and a substantial amount left in the bottom. You're not trying to hollow out the bread, but rather cut out a boat shape while still maintaining plenty of bread on the bottom and sides.

Nutrition