Halloween Pasta Salad
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Get ready to sink your fangs into the spookiest Halloween pasta salad!
A ghoulishly delightful blend of eerie ingredients like black pasta, mozzarella eyeballs, and mushroom skulls coated in Italian dressing, that’s perfect for a hauntingly delicious celebration.
Wether you are throwing a halloween party, or looking for a Halloween side dish to serve your family, this spooktacular dish is sure to become a family tradition!
Halloween season is one of my favorite holidays, and creating unique Halloween dinner ideas is always so much fun.
Make sure you check out these Halloween recipes too! Halloween Feet Loaf, Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese, and Spooky Halloween Chili.
What you’ll need
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- White pasta – rotini, cellantani (to look more like worms), or farfalle pasta are all fun choices
- Optional – use squid ink or black bean pasta and skip the food coloring
- Cold water
- Gel black food coloring – I used AmeriColor super black which has a purple base. Different brands may have green, blue, or brown undertones.
- Mushrooms – small, round button mushrooms are perfect.
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Marinated, fresh mozzarella balls or pearls – they can be found in small plastic containers in the deli section of your local grocery store.
- Basil pesto – your choice of homemade or store-bought
- Black olives – medium to large size
- Orange bell pepper – one large or two small
- Italian dressing – homemade or store-bought. I suggest choosing a zesty dressing that is full of flavor to compliment the simple ingredients in this dish.
- Cutting Board & Chefs Knife
Be sure to check out the detailed printable recipe card below
How to make Halloween Pasta Salad
To make mushroom skulls (or alien heads)
Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to clean, removing any dirt and debris.
Trim off the end of the mushroom stem with a paring knife to get a nice, clean end.
Look at each mushroom and find the best shape for the skull. Use the end of a straw to cut out two round eyes. Carefully remove the “eyes” with a skewer or the end of a sharp knife.
Flip the mushroom over and cut two eye holes on the backside directly behind the one you just cut.
Next, use the tip of a sharp pairing knife to cut two nostrils between the eyes, and small slices for “teeth” on each stem.
Place the mushroom with the stem facing up, and slice the mushroom in half to form two skulls.
Melt butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the mushroom skulls cut-side down, with the faces facing up, and cook until browned and caramelized.
Flip the mushrooms over and cook for one additional minute.
Move the skulls to a plate and set aside.
To prepare the pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Stir in the gel food coloring, then add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for “al dente” pasta.
Drain pasta and barely rinse under cold water just to remove the starch to prevent sticking, and allow to cool.
The longer your rinse the pasta, the more color you will remove.
Pour the drained, cooked pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
To make the mozzarella eyeballs
Slice the black olives in half lengthwise. With the cut side facing up, use a straw to cut a hole in the center of each olive. Set the olive “pupils” aside and discard the leftover olive pieces.
Place the mozzarella balls on a cutting board. Look at each one to find the best side to be the “top” of the of the eyeball. Cut a small circle in the top with a sharp paring knife, making a well to hold the pesto that is about one-quarter inch deep.
Use a small spoon to fill each eye with pesto almost to the top.
Place an olive pupil in the center of the basil pesto to create the eyeballs. Set aside.
To make the bell pepper shapes
Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Slice pepper in half and lay flat on a cutting board with the inside facing up. Use a mini cookie cutter (I used a triangle) to cut out your desired shape. Set aside.
To assemble
Add the bell pepper shapes and mushroom skulls to the bowl of pasta. Pour in the Italian dressing and gently toss to coat.
Transfer pasta to a serving platter or bowl, making sure to adjust the skulls and shapes so they are showing.
Place the mozzarella eyeballs randomly around the pasta and gently press them into the pasta.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Is it just me, or do the mushrooms look like little aliens? Whatever you want to call them, this twist on a classic pasta salad is crazy delicious while being kinda creepy at the same time!
Variations to Halloween pasta
- Use green, yellow, or red pepper for more variety
- Substitute your favorite salad dressing
- Spice things up with crushed red pepper flakes
- Add strips or small pieces of pepperoni or ham to create a complete meal
- Add halved cherry tomatoes for an added pop of color
FAQs
Yes, you can prepare Halloween pasta recipe ingredients a day or two in advance. Store the individual components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Make sure to keep the mozzarella eyeballs pointing up to keep the pesto from spilling out.
Absolutely! You can use gluten-free pasta or vegan cheese to accommodate dietary needs.
Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
More Halloween night recipes
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Enjoy!!
Halloween Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces dry pasta rotini, cellantani, or your favorite – OR substitute squid ink or black bean pasta
- water
- kosher salt generous amount
- 0.5 teaspoon super black gel food coloring
Mushroom Skulls
- 8 white button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- straw and skewer
Mozzarella Eyeballs
- 16 marinated, mini mozzarella balls bocconcini
- 2 tabespoons basil pesto thin with olive oil if too thick
- 5 whole pitted black olives medium or large
Bell Pepper
- 1 large orange bell pepper stem and seeds removed
- mini cookie cutter triangle, star, half-moon, cat, etc.
- 0.5 cup Italian dressing choose one with good flavor
Instructions
To make mushroom skulls (or alien heads)
- Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to clean, removing any dirt and debris. Trim off the very end (small amount) of the mushroom stem with a paring knife to get a nice, clean end.
- Look at each mushroom and find the best shape for the skull. Use the end of a straw to cut out two round eyes. Carefully remove the “eyes” with a skewer or the end of a sharp knife.
- Flip the mushroom over and cut two eye holes on the backside directly behind the one you just cut. Next, use the tip of a sharp pairing knife to cut two nostrils between the eyes, and small slices for “teeth” on each stem.
- Place the mushroom with the stem facing up, and slice the mushroom in half to form two skulls.
- Melt butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the mushroom skulls cut-side down, with the faces facing up, and cook until browned and caramelized.
- Flip the mushrooms over and cook for one additional minute. Move the skulls to a plate and set aside.
To prepare the pasta
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Stir in the gel food coloring, then add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for “al dente” pasta.
- Drain pasta and barely rinse under cold water just to remove the starch to prevent sticking, and allow to cool. The longer your rinse the pasta, the more color you will remove.
- Pour the drained, cooked pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
To make the mozzarella eyeballs
- Slice the black olives in half lengthwise. With the cut side facing up, use a straw to cut a hole in the center of each olive. Set the olive “pupils” aside and discard the leftover olive pieces.
- Place the mozzarella balls on a cutting board. Look at each one to find the best side to be the “top” of the of the eyeball. Cut a small circle in the top with a sharp paring knife, making a well to hold the pesto that is about one-quarter inch deep.
- Use a small spoon to fill each eye with pesto almost to the top. Place an olive pupil in the center of the basil pesto to create the eyeballs. Set aside.
To make the bell pepper shapes
- Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Slice pepper in half and lay flat on a cutting board with the inside facing up. Use a mini cookie cutter (I used a triangle) to cut out your desired shape. Set aside.
To assemble
- Add the bell pepper shapes and mushroom skulls to the bowl of pasta. Pour in the Italian dressing and gently toss to coat.
- Add the bell pepper shapes and mushroom skulls to the bowl of pasta. Pour in the Italian dressing and gently toss to coat.
- Place the mozzarella eyeballs randomly around the pasta and gently press them into the pasta. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use green, yellow, or red pepper for more variety
- Substitute your favorite salad dressing
- Spice things up with crushed red pepper flakes
- Add strips or small pieces of pepperoni or ham to create a complete meal
- Add halved cherry tomatoes for an added pop of color
- You can prepare Halloween pasta recipe ingredients a day or two in advance. Store the individual components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Make sure to keep the mozzarella eyeballs pointing up to keep the pesto from spilling out. - Use gluten-free pasta or vegan cheese to accommodate dietary needs.
- Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
