Description

This Halloween Eyeball Pasta Salad is a fun and festive dish perfect for spooky season gatherings. Featuring rotini pasta mixed with cherry tomatoes, cooked chicken, black olives, mozzarella balls, and fresh parsley, all tossed in a flavorful Italian dressing. The highlight is the creative ‘eyeball’ decoration made from mozzarella balls topped with cherry tomato halves and black decorating gel, adding a playful and eerie touch to your party table. Easy to prepare and chilled to meld flavors, this salad combines taste and Halloween fun in one delightful dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Salad Ingredients

8 ounces of rotini pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cooked and diced chicken breast
1 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup mozzarella balls (ciliegine)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Decoration

1 jar of sliced pickles (for decoration)
1 tube of black decorating gel (for decoration)

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Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Start by cooking the rotini pasta according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. Set the cooled pasta aside for assembling the salad.
Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled rotini pasta along with the halved cherry tomatoes, cooked and diced chicken breast, sliced black olives, mozzarella balls, and chopped fresh parsley.
Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt until well combined to create a flavorful dressing for the salad.
Toss the Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss everything together so that all the components are evenly coated with the dressing.
Create the Eyeball Base: To make the spooky eyeballs, place the mozzarella balls individually on a serving platter as the base of each eyeball.
Add the Eyeball Iris: Place a halved cherry tomato on top of each mozzarella ball to mimic the iris and give the eyeballs a realistic look.
Draw the Pupils: Use the black decorating gel to carefully draw a pupil in the center of each cherry tomato half, completing the eyeball effect.
Arrange the Eyeballs: Arrange the decorated eyeballs around the pasta salad or mix them directly into the salad for an interactive spooky presentation.
Add Pickle Decorations: If desired, incorporate pickle slices into the salad as additional decorative elements, or position extra eyeballs on top for more creepy details.
Chill and Serve: Chill the prepared pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. This step allows the flavors to meld and the salad to become refreshingly cool.

Notes

You can substitute rotini pasta with other short pasta like penne or fusilli if preferred.
For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken or use plant-based chicken substitutes.
The black decorating gel can be found in craft or baking stores; alternatively, use black olive tapenade for a savory option.
Ensure to chill the salad well for better flavor integration and refreshing taste.
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.