20-Minute Garlic Bread Spaghetti

Have you ever put garlic bread in a food processor?
No?
We’re about to change that with this carby-licious dinner!
Simple spaghetti tossed together with golden fried garlic-bread-crumbs, plus a hint of chilli and lemon, all finished off with a sprinkling of parmesan.
A revelation of a dinner – ready in 20 minutes.

Before you say it, I know what you’re thinking.

Bread mixed with pasta? that’s a bit of a carb overload isn’t it?

When the recipe idea popped into my head, I was immediately reminded of a cartoon my kids loved when they were little – Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.
In one episode, Nanny Plum has been tasked with making a posh meal for a visiting king and queen, and she proudly announces she’s going to make ‘Baked potato, stuffed with potato, chips and mash with a fried egg on top’.

Ha ha, I love it.

…and I’d totally choose that at a restaurant.

However, this garlic bread spaghetti isn’t heavy and overly filling like that genius potato dish.  In fact, if you usually serve garlic bread with your pasta, than really you’re probably eating less.  No meat sauce or creamy sauce needed! I wouldn’t advise serving it with garlic bread though…

📋 What do we need?

🔪 How to make Spaghetti with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

To make the garlic breadcrumbs

Use one of those part-baked garlic baguettes from the refrigerator section at the supermarket.  Roughly tear it, then pulse it in your food processor (Don’t be scraping out the garlic butter now. That goes in the food processor too).

Pour a little olive oil in a hot pan and then fry the breadcrumbs until browned and crispy.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP If you want the breadcrumbs to look even more golden, you can add 1/2 tsp of paprika.

At this point, you can put them on a plate until you’re ready to mix them with the spaghetti or you can cool, cover and store them at room temperature for up to a day – tastes great on a salad!

Now to finish it off

The chopped chilli is lightly fried, then the cooked spaghetti is added with a few spoonfuls of the cooking water (this helps to give the dish a bit of creamy moisture).  Everything else is then thrown in, tossed to combine, and you’re ready to serve!

If you are a garlic lover who loves a recipe shortcut then how about this garlic bread salmon!

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5 from 3 votes

20 Minute Garlic Bread Spaghetti

By Nicky Corbishley

Simple spaghetti tossed together with golden fried garlic-bread-crumbs, plus a hint of chilli and lemon. A revelation of a dinner!

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• ▢ 300 g (10.5 oz) dried spaghetti
• ▢ 1 part baked garlic baguette chilled, not frozen (about 200g/7oz)
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 red chilli chopped finely
• ▢ zest and juice of half a lemon
• ▢ 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan or Italian style hard cheese for vegetarian, grated
• ▢ 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ pinch salt and pepper

To Serve:

• ▢ grated parmesan or Italian style hard cheese for vegetarian
• ▢ lemon zest
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as per the cooking instructions – usually about 12 minutes.
  300 g (10.5 oz) dried spaghetti
• Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, rip the garlic baguette into large chunks and pulse in a food processor until you have rough breadcrumbs.
  1 part baked garlic baguette
• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan/skillet and fry the garlic breadcrumbs for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Make sure you stir regularly to stop the breadcrumbs from burning. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
  2 tbsp olive oil
• Just before the spaghetti is ready, heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil in the large frying pan and add in the chopped chilli. Fry for 1-2 minutes on a low-medium heat.
  1 red chilli
• Drain the spaghetti, reserving a cupful of the cooking water.
• Place the spaghetti in the frying pan with the chillies along with 4 tbsp of the pasta cooking water.
• Add the zest and juice of the lemon, parmesan, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add a little more cooking water if you want the dish to be a little more creamy.
  zest and juice of half a lemon, 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, pinch salt and pepper
• Stir through three-quarters of the breadcrumbs, then divide between 4 bowls.
• Top with the rest of the garlic breadcrumbs, plus a sprinkling of parmesan, lemon zest and black pepper.
  grated parmesan, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper

Video

Notes

Can it be made ahead and/or frozen?

I don’t recommend making this recipe ahead or freezing it. It tastes best when cooked and eaten right away.
However, you can make the garlic breadcrumbs up to a day ahead. Simply fry them up, and place in an air-tight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to a day.

A note on seasoning

Garlic bread can sometimes be salty, or not salty at all, depending on the brand you use.
This recipe assumes you’re using seasoned/salty garlic bread. If you’re not (or you’re not sure) have a taste of the garlic breadcrumbs when you’ve fried them. Add a good pinch of salt if you think it needs it.

Nutritional Information is per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Vitamin C: 34.9mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

This recipe was first published in July 2015. Updated February 2021 with new photos, video and tips.

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