My neighbor brought this spaghetti stuffed garlic bread to our block party last spring, and three kids literally fought over the last slice. She'd scooped out a loaf of Italian Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread, crammed it with leftover spaghetti and mozzarella, then baked it until the outside turned crispy and golden. When she cut into it, hot pasta and cheese spilled out while everyone grabbed plates.
Why You'll Love This Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
This fixes the leftover spaghetti problem without making it feel like you're eating yesterday's dinner. The Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread crisps up on the outside while the pasta inside gets hot and the cheese melts through everything. About 30 minutes from start to finish, and most of that is just oven time. Max prefers this to regular spaghetti because he can eat it with his hands. No fork twirling, no sauce mess. Just pick up a slice and go. The garlic butter is strong enough that even two-day-old pasta tastes good again.
People think you worked way harder than you did when they see this come out of the oven. Really you just scraped out Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread, dumped in leftover Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread, and baked it. The only tricky part is waiting long enough before cutting into it so you don't burn your mouth.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Ingredients for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- How To Make Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Tasty Variations on Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Equipement for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Storing Your Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- What to Serve With Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Top Tip
- The Secret Sauce My Neighbor Knows (But Won't Share)
- FAQ
- Turn Leftovers Into Something Worth Making!
- Related
- Pairing
- Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Ingredients for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
The Bread:
- Large Italian loaf
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Salt
The Filling:
- Leftover spaghetti with sauce
- Shredded mozzarella
- Grated Parmesan
- Extra marinara
Optional Add-Ins:
- Cooked ground beef or sausage
- Pepperoni slices
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil
What You'll Need:
- Sharp bread knife
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Spoon for scooping
- Pastry brush
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread Step By Step
Prep the Bread:
- Cut top third off the Italian loaf
- Scoop out the inside with a spoon
- Leave about half an inch of bread around the edges
- Save the insides for breadcrumbs or toss them
Make the Garlic Butter:
- Melt butter in microwave
- Stir in garlic powder and parsley
- Add a pinch of salt
- Brush inside of bread and on the cut top
Pack the Filling:
- Mix leftover spaghetti with half the mozzarella
- Stuff it into the hollowed bread
- Pack it down but don't crush it
- Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan
Bake It:
- Put the bread top back on
- Wrap whole thing in foil
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes
- Remove foil, bake 10 more minutes until golden
- Let it sit 5 minutes before slicing
Smart Swaps for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Bread Options:
- Italian loaf → French bread
- White bread → Sourdough loaf
- Regular → Ciabatta
- Fresh → Day-old works fine (actually easier to hollow out)
Pasta Switches:
- Spaghetti → Any leftover pasta with sauce
- Marinara → Alfredo sauce
- Meat sauce → Plain with extra cheese
- Regular → Penne, rigatoni, whatever you have
Cheese Changes:
- Mozzarella → Provolone
- Fresh → Pre-shredded (it's fine)
- Parmesan → Romano or Asiago
- Dairy → Skip if you need to, won't be the same but still works
Butter Alternatives:
- Regular butter → Olive oil
- Salted → Unsalted plus extra salt
- Dairy butter → Margarine or plant butter
Tasty Variations on Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Pizza Style:
- Add pepperoni slices
- Mix in Italian sausage
- Extra mozzarella
- Sprinkle oregano on top
Meatball Sub Version:
- Chop up leftover meatballs
- Mix with marinara
- Add provolone instead of mozzarella
- Finish with Parmesan
Chicken Alfredo:
- Use fettuccine alfredo leftovers
- Add cooked chicken pieces
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan
- Skip the marinara
Veggie Loaded:
- Add sautéed mushrooms
- Throw in bell peppers
- Mix in spinach
- Use extra cheese to hold it together
Equipement for Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
- Sharp bread knife (serrated works best)
- Large spoon for scooping
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Pastry brush (or just use a spoon)
Storing Your Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Counter (Same Day):
- Leave it wrapped in foil if eating within a few hours
- Room temperature is fine for 3-4 hours
- Don't refrigerate before serving or the bread gets chewy
Fridge (2 days max):
- Wrap tight in foil or plastic
- Keeps for about two days
- Bread gets softer but still tastes good
- Reheat in oven, not microwave
Freezer (Don't Bother):
- The bread texture goes weird when frozen
- Gets soggy and falls apart
- Just make it fresh when you want it
Reheating:
- Wrap in foil, 350°F for 15 minutes
- Take foil off last 5 minutes to crisp it back up
- Microwave makes it rubbery and gross
- Toaster oven works if you're reheating one slice
What to Serve With Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
This thing is already loaded with bread, pasta, and cheese, so you need something light to balance it out. A simple green salad with vinaigrette works best - the acid cuts through all that richness and makes you feel less like you just ate a loaf of carbs. Roasted vegetables like broccoli or green beans are good too. Skip anything creamy or heavy. You don't need more bread on the side (this IS the bread), and adding another pasta dish is overkill.
Soup can work if you want something warm alongside it. Minestrone or Italian wedding soup makes sense since they fit the theme. Tomato basil soup is Max's pick when he wants to dip his slices. For drinks, iced tea or lemonade cuts through the garlic better than soda. Water works fine too. The stuffed bread is filling enough that you really don't need much else - most nights we just do salad and call it dinner.
Top Tip
- Max created our best version of this spaghetti stuffed garlic bread completely by mistake last fall. I was making it for dinner and he wanted to help with the garlic butter. He grabbed what he thought was the garlic powder, dumped in way too much, and it turned out to be garlic salt instead of plain garlic powder.
- I didn't notice until I'd already brushed it all over the bread. We were about to scrape it off and start over when Max said we should just try it anyway since we didn't have another loaf. That extra salt on the bread with the salty garlic created this pretzel-like crust that was way better than the regular version. Now we use garlic salt on purpose and skip adding extra salt to the butter.
- His other contribution was less of an accident. He started sprinkling red pepper flakes on top before baking because "it needs spots of red like pizza." Turns out a little heat on top balances out all the cheese and carbs. Not enough to make it spicy, just enough to wake up your mouth between bites. We keep a shaker on the table now so people can add more if they want.
The Secret Sauce My Neighbor Knows (But Won't Share)
My neighbor who first made this at the block party has one trick she refuses to tell anyone, and I only figured it out because I happened to walk into her kitchen while she was making it for another potluck. She mixes something into her marinara before stuffing the bread - something that makes the sauce taste richer and less acidic. I watched her dump what looked like balsamic vinegar into the bowl, maybe a tablespoon or two, then stir it around before mixing it with the Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread.
When I asked her about it later, she just smiled and said "family secret." But I tried it at home with regular balsamic and it worked. The vinegar adds sweetness without making it taste like dessert, and it cuts that sharp tomato taste you get from jarred sauce. Her other move - and she definitely saw me watching this part - is spreading a thin layer of ricotta on the inside of the bread before adding the Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread. Not enough that you taste it separately, just enough to create a creamy buffer between the bread and the sauce. Now my bread never gets soggy in the middle, even if the spaghetti sits in there for a while before baking.
FAQ
How long does garlic bread last without refrigeration?
Spaghetti stuffed garlic bread sits fine at room temperature for 3-4 hours max. After that, bacteria starts growing in the pasta filling. If you're not eating it within that window, wrap it tight and stick it in the fridge.
Why is spaghetti served with garlic bread?
Garlic bread soaks up extra sauce and the garlic cuts through how rich pasta can be. It's also cheap filler that makes the meal more filling. This recipe just skips the middleman and puts them together from the start.
How long to heat frozen garlic bread in the oven?
Don't freeze this. The bread gets weird and soggy when you thaw it. If you've got leftover spaghetti, just make it fresh - takes the same amount of time as thawing and reheating would anyway.
Can I keep garlic bread in the fridge?
Yeah, wrapped tight it'll last about two days in the fridge. The bread gets softer and less crispy, but it's still edible. Reheat it wrapped in foil at 350°F for 15 minutes to bring it back to life.
Turn Leftovers Into Something Worth Making!
You've got everything you need now to turn boring leftover spaghetti into something people actually get excited about. This spaghetti stuffed garlic bread proves that the best meals sometimes come from not wanting to waste food or eat the same thing twice.
Want more easy dinner wins? Try our Healthy Japanese Pancake Recipe that works for breakfast or dinner and takes less time than you'd think. Craving something crispy and indulgent? Our Delicious Rangoon Crab Bombs Recipe disappears faster than you can make them. Need a complete meal in one bowl? Check out our The Best Taco Rice Bowl Recipe that feeds everyone without dirtying half your kitchen.
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Pairing
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Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the top off the loaf and hollow it out
- Mix melted butter with garlic and brush it on the loaf
- Combine spaghetti, cheese, sauce, and extras if using
- Fill the loaf with spaghetti mixture and top with cheese
- Wrap in foil, bake until golden, then slice to serve
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