Description
This Halloween Pasta Salad recipe combines spooky fun with delicious flavors, featuring pasta tinted black with food coloring, eerie mushroom skulls, creepy mozzarella eyeballs filled with pesto, and vibrant bell pepper shapes tossed in zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for Halloween parties, this salad can be served cold or at room temperature and offers festive presentation with easy-to-make components.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 ounces dry rotini, cellentani, or your favorite pasta (substitute squid ink or black bean pasta for color variation)
- Generous amount kosher salt
- 0.5 teaspoon super black gel food coloring
Mushroom Skulls
- 8 white button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Straw and skewer (for cutting eyes)
Mozzarella Eyeballs
- 16 marinated mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto (thin with olive oil if too thick)
- 5 whole pitted black olives (medium or large)
Bell Pepper Shapes
- 1 large orange bell pepper (stem and seeds removed)
- Mini cookie cutters in desired shapes (triangle, star, half-moon, cat, etc.)
- 0.5 cup Italian dressing (choose one with good flavor)
Instructions
- Prepare Mushroom Skulls: Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, trimming the stem ends for a clean cut. Use the end of a straw to punch out two round eyes on the mushroom cap, carefully removing the cut-outs with a skewer. Flip the mushroom and cut two eye holes on the backside aligned with the front eyes, then carve two nostrils and small slices for teeth on each stem. Slice each mushroom in half vertically to form two skulls.
- Cook Mushroom Skulls: Heat butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place mushroom skulls cut-side down, faces up, and cook until browned and caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional minute. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Stir in the black gel food coloring, then add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water just enough to remove surface starch without removing much color. Drain well and transfer pasta to a large bowl.
- Make Mozzarella Eyeballs: Slice black olives lengthwise and use a straw to cut out a small hole in each olive half to create pupils; set aside. On each mini mozzarella ball, cut a shallow well about 1/4 inch deep on the top side. Fill the wells with basil pesto and place one olive pupil in the center creating eerie eyeballs. Set aside.
- Cut Bell Pepper Shapes: Remove stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Slice pepper in half and lay flat, cut side up. Use mini cookie cutters to press out shapes from the bell pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble Pasta Salad: Add mushroom skulls and bell pepper shapes into the bowl with pasta. Pour Italian dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat everything evenly. Arrange the mozzarella eyeballs randomly throughout the salad, gently pressing them into the pasta. Serve cold or at room temperature for best flavor and festive presentation.
Notes
- Use green, yellow, or red bell peppers for a colorful variety.
- Substitute your favorite salad dressing to customize flavor.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes to spice things up.
- Add strips or small pieces of pepperoni or ham to create a more filling meal.
- Incorporate halved cherry tomatoes for extra color.
- You can prepare all components 1-2 days in advance; store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator and keep mozzarella eyeballs upright to prevent pesto spilling.
- Use gluten-free pasta or vegan cheese to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Leftover pasta salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
