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    Home » Cook » Easy Weeknight

    Published: Oct 27, 2021 by Slow The Cook Down

    Creepy Pasta Recipe (Halloween Spaghetti and Meatball Eyeballs)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest graphic. Creepy pasta with text overlay.
    Pinterest graphic. Creepy pasta with text overlay.

    Add some spooky fun to your Halloween dinner table with these spaghetti and meatball eyeballs. Kid friendly and easy to make, this creepy pasta is an effortless way to fill bellies before an evening of trick or treating!

    Halloween spaghetti and meatballs served on a large platter.

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy here.

    Add some fun to your dinner table this Halloween with this easy spaghetti and meatball eyeballs recipe.

    Use your favorite meatballs, toss in marinara sauce and serve over pasta before making the meatballs into eyeballs with mozzarella and sliced black olives.

    This simple Halloween dinner idea is an easy way to enjoy spooky season, and it's so fun to serve to the table!

    Be sure to try my Green Halloween Sangria and Halloween Chocolate Bark for more spooky recipes!

    Why you will love this recipe!

    • Quick and easy: This recipe takes just a minute or too longer than your average spaghetti and meatballs recipe. Celebrating Halloween doesn't mean you have to spend hours crafting and baking to make it fun!
    • Easy to adapt: This simple recipe is easy to make your own, choose your favorite meatballs and pasta sauce.
    • Simple ingredients: This is such a straight forward recipe that only requires a five every day ingredients, most of which you'll have to hand already, or are easy to grab from the store.
    Meatball 'eyeballs' served on pasta and sauce and garnished with parsley.

    Ingredients

    • Pasta: Long pastas like spaghetti or linguini work great in this creepy pasta recipe. If you only have penne or fusilli to hand, that will work just fine!
    • Pasta sauce: Marinara, with it's deep red color works great for this Halloween recipe.
    • Meatballs: You can use your favorite meatball recipe, or buy frozen from the store.
    • Bocconcini: Slice the mini mozzarella balls to create the whites for the eyes. Cheese is always a welcome addition to any pasta dish!
    • Sliced black olives: Finish the meatball eyeballs with sliced olives.

    How to make Halloween spaghetti and meatballs

    Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

    • Cook the meatballs in the marinara pasta sauce (photo 1).
    • Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce (photo 2).
    • Place the pasta on a plate, add the meatballs and top with the mozzarella and black olives to make your eyeballs (photo 3).
    Three step by step photos to show how to make the recipe.

    Recipe Variations

    This Halloween spaghetti and meatballs is easy to adapt to your tastes, so it's a great option if you have picky eaters in your house! You can use any pasta sauce you like, though a red tomato based one will look better with this dish. You could also use pesto for green eyeballs!

    You can also use any meatballs you like in this recipe, store bought frozen ones work great, but buy biggish ones so that you can turn them into eyeballs. Any of these homemade meatball recipes will work well:

    • Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
    • Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
    • Bison Meatballs
    • Turkey Spinach Meatballs

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you make this pasta ahead of time?

    This creepy pasta dish is best served as soon as it's made, though if you are making your meatballs from scratch, you can easily make and cook those ahead of time and just toss them in the sauce. If you do have leftovers, they will keep for 4 days and can be reheated in a skillet or in the oven.

    Do you have to serve meatballs with spaghetti?

    I actually served these meatballs with linguini, as that's what I had to hand. Long pasta works great for this dish, I think it looks a bit more gruesome, but you can use short pastas if that's what you have to hand.

    Can you use frozen meatballs?

    Yes! If you have frozen meatballs, just toss them in the hot marinara sauce until they are warmed through.

    If you have made your own meatballs, brown them quickly in the skillet to seal them, then add the sauce and continue to cook them through.

    Cooking the meatballs in the sauce helps to keep them nice and juicy and they are less likely to dry out.

    • A meatball topped with mozzarella and a black sliced olive.
    • Six eyeball meatballs served on top of pasta and garnished with fresh herbs.
    • Creepy pasta meatballs garnished with fresh parsley.

    Serving Suggestions

    These Halloween spaghetti and meatball eyeballs are a filling meal all by themselves, but you can serve them up with a side of veggies, salad or bread. Try them with:

    • Caprese Salad
    • Pesto Garlic Bread
    • Roasted Asparagus
    • Pizza Dough Balls

    Recipe Notes and Tips

    • Cook the pasta in salted water to start adding flavor to the dish straight away.
    • Cook the pasta al dente. It will continue to cook once drained, and again when it is tossed in the sauce.
    • If making your own meatballs, don't overwork the mixture or they can become tough.
    • Raw meatballs should be browned before tossing with the sauce. Frozen meatballs can be added directly to the sauce and will take a little longer to cook through.
    Close up of meatball eyeballs on spaghetti.

    More Pasta Recipes

    • Garlic Parmesan Pasta
    • Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnuts
    • Beef and Goats Cheese Pasta
    • Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

    I love hearing from you!! If you have tried these Halloween spaghetti and meatballs, be sure to scroll down, give them a star rating and let me know what you thought!

    For more tasty treats, food inspiration and fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest – come say hi!

    Be sure to keep in touch and sign up to Slow The Cook Down to grab your free e-book ‘Stress Free Recipes Made For Sharing’

    Halloween spaghetti and meatballs on a serving plate with fresh parsley garnish.

    Creepy Pasta Recipe (Halloween Spaghetti and Meatball Eyeballs)

    Add some spooky fun to your Halloween dinner table with these spaghetti and meatball eyeballs. Kid friendly and easy to make, this creepy pasta is an effortless way to fill bellies before an evening of trick or treating!
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 476kcal
    Author: Slow The Cook Down

    Ingredients

    • 10 ounces spaghetti or linguini (285g)
    • 3 cups marinara sauce (1 jar / 23oz / 700ml)
    • 6 large meatballs homemade or store bought
    • 6 bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) (sliced)
    • sliced black olives
    • optional parsley to garnish

    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta in salted boiling water til al dente. Drain and set to one side.
    • While the pasta is cooking, place the marinara in a skillet and heat on a medium high heat.
    • Add the meatballs and toss in the sauce. Cook until cooked through (10 to 15 minutes depending if frozen).
    • Remove the meatballs from the sauce and set to one side, cover them with foil to keep them warm.
    • Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve on a plate.
    • Place the meatballs on top of the pasta, and top each meatballs with a piece of sliced bocconcini and a sliced olive to make an eyeball.
    • Fill in the gaps between the meatballs with more 'eyeballs'.
    • Garnish with fresh parsley, if using and serve.

    Notes

    • Cook the pasta in salted water to start adding flavor to the dish straight away.
    • Cook the pasta al dente. It will continue to cook once drained, and again when it is tossed in the sauce.
    • If making your own meatballs, don't overwork the mixture or they can become tough.
    • Raw meatballs should be browned before tossing with the sauce. Frozen meatballs can be added directly to the sauce and will take a little longer to cook through.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1102mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 821IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it today!Mention @SlowTheCookDown or tag #SlowTheCookDown!
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