A recipe for Halloween Pasta Salad! Squid ink pasta is tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette with orange bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.
I recently started growing Black Devil Pansies in my garden and was inspired to make this Halloween Pasta Salad to use the flowers as garnish.
I had so much fun with the pasta salad! To help go with the Halloween theme, I tossed together al dente squid ink pasta, orange bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and thinly sliced purple basil.
The resulting combination of colors definitely works for Halloween, but also any time of year as a simple Balsamic Pasta Salad. It is flavored with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
This Halloween Pasta Salad is best at room temperature immediately after tossing together, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notable Ingredients
Squid ink pasta is naturally colored black with squid ink (available in some larger grocery stores or specialty Italian stores).
For this recipe, I used store-bought dried Squid Ink Strozzapreti. It was the perfect size to pair with all the other ingredients. Otherwise, try to use a medium pasta shape.
I haven’t personally tried it, but What to Cook Today has a recipe for Homemade Squid Ink Pasta. If unavailable, simply swap for another favorite.
My garden this year has Persian Basil (Reyhan), so I tossed in a few thinly sliced leaves for more flavor and the beautiful purple color.
I also like to add some fresh Ciliegine or Perlini (Pearl) Mozzarella. These are small, bite-size mozzarella balls. If you don’t have them available, cut a larger ball of mozzarella into about 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) cubes.
A Few Halloween Pasta Salad Tips
I added the thinly sliced red onion to the pasta salad raw, but you can soak the slices in lemon juice if desired to help take away some of the bite. This also adds a boost of citrus flavor throughout the salad.
Allow the soaked onion to sit at room temperature, stirring every 5-10 minutes to make sure all the onions come in contact with the juice. I usually soak them for at least 15-30 minutes. If not using after 30 minutes, refrigerate until needed.
Cook the pasta until just tender, al dente.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature before adding the remaining ingredients, especially the cheese. The fresh mozzarella will melt and lose its texture if the pasta is too warm.
Looking for more Halloween recipes?
Try my:
Halloween Pasta Salad Recipe
Adapted from A Magical Mess
Halloween Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Halloween Pasta Salad:
- 1 pound (450 grams) dried medium shape squid ink pasta
- 9 ounces (255 grams) cherry tomatoes purple, orange, or a combination of colors, halved
- 2 orange bell peppers stem and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
- 1/2 small red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 ounces (227 grams) fresh mozzarella Ciliegine/Pearls or diced into 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) pieces, drained
- 1/4 cup (10 grams) fresh purple basil thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
Instructions
To make the Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper until blended.
- Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
To assemble the Halloween Pasta Salad:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, just tender.
- Drain and add to the bowl with the prepared vinaigrette, tossing to coat.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Toss in the halved cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, fresh mozzarella, and purple basil.
- Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately with more purple basil for garnish if desired.
Bernadette
Spooky delicious.