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Halloween Spaghetti Monster Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Halloween Spaghetti Monster Recipe

I made this Halloween Spaghetti Monster for the first time when my kids begged for something "scary but yummy" for our costume party, and it's been on repeat every October since. I love that it uses ingredients I already have in my pantry, so there's no last-minute grocery run before trick-or-treating starts.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb spaghetti – the base of the monster and any long noodle works fine here
  • 1 jar 24 oz marinara or pasta sauce – forms the "blood" the monster sits in, so pick one you actually like the taste of
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella – sliced into rounds for eyes fresh mozzarella slices cleaner than pre-shredded
  • 6-8 black olives – used for pupils eyebrows, fangs, and the spider, so buy a few extra
  • 1 red bell pepper optional – circles from this add a bloodshot ring around the eyes
  • 2 tbsp tomato passata – brushed onto the eyes for that creepy bloodshot look
  • Salt to taste – always salt your pasta water generously for real flavor
  • 1 tbsp olive oil – helps keep the cooked spaghetti from clumping while you decorate

Method
 

  1. I bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil first. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain it in a colander, then toss with a touch of olive oil so it doesn't stick together while you work.
  2. While the pasta cooks, I heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You just want it warmed through and glossy, not reduced or thickened too much. This sauce becomes the "blood" your monster sits in, so keep it saucy.
  3. I spread the plain spaghetti out on my serving platter first, shaping it into a rough mound or face outline. Then I spoon the warm sauce over the center, letting it pool and drip toward the edges like something out of a horror movie.
  4. Slice the mozzarella into two rounds and set them where the eyes should go. I cut the tips off an olive to make two rings, then place one ring in the center of each mozzarella circle for the pupils. A dab of tomato passata around the edges gives that gross, bloodshot finish.
  5. I slice olives thinly for eyebrows and place them just above each eye. For the mouth, I arrange more olive slices side by side beneath the eyes. Cut small mozzarella triangles for teeth, plus two longer pointed ones for fangs, and tuck them into the "mouth" area.
  6. I always add one last creepy detail: a spider made from a halved olive as the body, with thin olive strips fanned out as legs. Place it near the eyes or crawling across the sauce for extra spookiness right before serving.

Notes

  • I always salt my pasta water well, since bland noodles make the whole dish taste flat.
  • I slice my olives with a sharp paring knife, not a dull one, so the shapes stay clean.
  • I keep my sauce a little looser than usual so it pools nicely around the "face."
  • I decorate right before serving, because mozzarella gets sweaty and slippery if it sits too long.
  • I lay everything out on wax paper first, so I can plan the face before committing to the platter.