Description
Eyeball Pasta is a spooky, fun, and hearty Halloween dinner! Juicy meatballs become creepy eyeballs with mozzarella and olive toppings, all served over saucy spaghetti. It’s easy to customize and makes a perfect main dish for parties or family dinners with a Halloween twist.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pasta:
- 1 lb spaghetti (or linguine)
- 1 jar marinara sauce (or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- For the Meatball “Eyeballs”:
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- For the Eyeballs:
- 6–8 slices mozzarella cheese (cut into rounds)
- 6–8 black or green olive slices (for pupils)
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with olive oil, and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Shape mixture into meatballs and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or pan-fry in olive oil until cooked through.
- Top each meatball with a mozzarella round and an olive slice. Broil for 1–2 minutes if needed to help cheese melt slightly and stick.
- Warm marinara sauce and toss with spaghetti. Plate pasta and spoon sauce over it.
- Arrange meatball “eyeballs” on top and garnish with Parmesan or parsley.
Notes
Make it vegetarian by using plant-based meatballs! For extra spookiness, draw red pepper “veins” on the cheese or use green olives for monster-style eyes. You can also serve it with garlic bread shaped like bones for a full Halloween meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop, Baked
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 85mg