Halloween Pasta Salad with Spooky Mushroom Skulls

Overhead image of Halloween pasta salad in a dish.

Halloween Pasta Salad with Spooky Mushroom Skulls

This fun Halloween Pasta Salad is going to be a hit at your party! And the spooky mushroom skulls make it over-the-top festive. Combining foods that are Halloween colors naturally means lots of seasonal produce, fun and spooky pasta, and delicious fall flavors.

Course Holiday, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 280kcal

Author Laura Yautz

Equipment

Ingredients

16 oz Black Squid Ink Pasta or Black Bean Pasta
2 cups Finely Shredded Purple Cabbage
1 large Orange Bell Pepper chopped
2 large Carrots peeled and sliced
2 cups Edamame thawed if frozen
10 oz White Button Mushrooms
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Pinch Salt

Dressing

½ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tablespoon Water
2 tablespoon 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
optional ½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, finely shred the cabbage, chop the pepper, and peel and slice the carrots.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, and run the pasta under cold water until it is no longer hot.
Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl, and add the cabbage, peppers, carrots, and edamame.
Whisk together ½ cup olive oil, the vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, maple syrup, thyme, and optional salt, and pour into the pasta bowl.
Toss to mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Make the mushroom skulls (see photo tutorial above if needed)

Make the mushroom skulls by cutting each mushroom in half.
Slice off the bottom of the stems if needed, to create a straight bottom.
Use a straw to cut 2 eye socket holes in the cap of each mushroom, being careful not to split the mushroom cap.
Now use a paring knife to slice 2 small slits in the bottom of the cap, between the eye sockets, to create nostril holes.
Finally, using a fork, create teeth by gently pulling the tines of the fork down the entire length of the stem a few times.
Now heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the mushroom skulls.
Saute, stirring frequently and gently, until desired doneness is reached (about 10 minutes for me).
Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and cool completely, before placing them on the top of the pasta salad.

Notes

Note: You can make this lower calorie and lower fat by using ¼ cup olive oil + ¼ water in the dressing, instead of the ½ cup olive oil. Doing this will result in the calorie count being about 240 per serving, and the total fat being 6.5 grams per serving.

Nutrition