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Halloween Eyeball Pasta Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Halloween Eyeball Pasta Recipe

I make this Halloween eyeball pasta every single October, and it's honestly become one of those recipes my kids start requesting the moment the leaves start turning. It looks like something straight out of a horror movie, but it's really just regular pasta dressed up with a clever little trick.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound spinach pasta — naturally green which makes the whole dish look spooky without any food coloring
  • 1 jar 24 ounces marinara or pasta sauce — a smooth, thick sauce holds the eyeballs in place better than a thin one
  • 6 pieces string cheese — sliced into rounds these become the "whites" of each eyeball
  • 1 small can sliced black olives — the pupils so buy pre-sliced to save yourself a step
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil — tossed with the cooked pasta so the noodles don't clump together while cooling
  • Salt to taste — for seasoning the pasta water so the noodles aren't bland underneath the sauce
  • Fresh basil or parsley optional — a small garnish that adds a pop of color against the red sauce

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add your spinach pasta. Cook according to the package directions until just tender, usually around 8 to 10 minutes. Drain it in a colander and toss with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick together while you prep the eyeballs.
  2. While the pasta cooks, pour your marinara or pasta sauce into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally so it warms through evenly without sticking to the bottom. This only takes about 5 minutes and can happen right alongside the boiling pasta.
  3. Take your string cheese sticks and slice them into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Using your cookie cutter or the wide end of a straw, punch a small circle out of the center of the olive slices to nest inside each cheese round later.
  4. Press a piece of sliced black olive into the center of each cheese round to create the pupil. Repeat this until you've made enough eyeballs to top every serving, which usually works out to 4 or 5 per plate.
  5. Divide the warm pasta among bowls and spoon the sauce generously over the top. Scatter your finished eyeballs across each serving so they appear to be staring back up at whoever's eating, then serve right away while everything is still warm.

Notes

  • I always slice my string cheese while it's cold, straight from the fridge, since it holds its shape much better than room-temperature cheese.
  • I like using a small straw instead of a knife for the olive centers, it gives a cleaner, rounder pupil every time.
  • I make the eyeballs first and set them aside on a plate, so I'm not rushing once the pasta is ready.
  • I always taste my sauce before serving, since a bland sauce makes even the spookiest dish fall a little flat.
  • I keep a few extra olives on hand in case any slices break while I'm cutting them.