Halloween Party Food | Swamp Monster Spaghetti
A Halloween party food idea, featuring black spaghetti and meat sauce.
If you are hosting a Halloween party this fall, this is a recipe you are going to want to get under your belt. The bulk of the work can be done in advance, it is crowd-pleasing and absolutely, perfectly spooky looking.
MAKE-AHEAD MEAT SAUCE
When I am entertaining, the more food I can get done in advance, the better. And this recipe is an excellent make-ahead dish, as bolognese (meat sauce in marinara) tends to get better overnight in the fridge. You would simply make the sauce the day before, or even up to a month in advance (it freezes well, also - bonus) and then just before your guests arrive, have ready a boiling pot of water and drop in the spaghetti. However, I wouldn't advice making the noodles in advance, as they tend to dry out and get a bit sticky come the next day.
CROWD-PLEASING DISH FOR ALL AGES
Aside from being make-ahead, spaghetti and meat sauce is a crowd-pleasing food for both young children and adults. I don't know about your house, but in The Anthony Kitchen, spaghetti night is a real treat for this mom. Not just because I whole-heartedly love it, and have since I was a very small child, but because I know it is going to be a night free of whining and complaining at the dinner table. My kids can be picky eaters, and dinnertime can get a little tough, but almost all kids love spaghetti, and I just can't imagine there are many adults out there opposed to this Italian classic either. That being said, I think it's safe to say you can count on this dish to go over well amongst the guests at your halloween party.
HOW TO TURN SPAGHETTI BLACK
Now for the fun part - turning it into Swamp Monster Spaghetti! I don't know who the original genius behind this Halloween dish is, but thank you whoever you are. Not only is it easy to do, but it is SO FUN to watch! The black spaghetti is dyed via the addition of black gel food coloring. You simply bring the water to a boil, add a 1/2 teaspoon of food coloring to the pot, followed by the spaghetti. If you have little ones, I suggest you bring them on board to watch this, because even I, as a grown woman, was mesmerized by the hocus pocus fun of black, boiling water. And, we aren't talking a grey-ish black here, we are talking deep, dark, jet black water!
HOW TO MAKE IT SWAMP MONSTER SPAGHETTI
To make the spaghetti look eerily similar to the infamous swamp thing, you'll need to enlist a few sliced green olives. I prefer to buy them whole (stuffed with pimentos) and slice them myself, so that I am guaranteed just the right thickness for eyes that really pop. To get the full look, and make the swamp monster look like it has legs, you'll need a large, glass, footed cake stand (at least 9" in diameter) and a spider pumpkin stand. You could also use a large, glass plate or a food-safe charger to plate the spaghetti. Once the set up is in place, add the spaghetti, followed by a mound of the meat sauce and as many sets of "olive eyes" as desired.
This dish is absolutely perfect for a Halloween party, or a festive family dinner before a big night of trick-or-treating fun! Please, enjoy.
For the Marinara and Meat Sauce:
2 pounds (80/20) ground beef
3 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, separated
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, separated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed and finely diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 small (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the Black Spaghetti:
Salt for pasta water
1 pound dried spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon black gel food-coloring
1/3 cup whole, pimento-stuffed green olives
Method:
Have ready a colander placed in the sink, heavily lined with a paper towels.
For the sauce, add the ground beef to a Dutch oven or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, and break apart with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook the beef until completely browned, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Cut off the heat.
Transfer the cooked beef to the colander, pressing out any excess grease. Carefully, wipe down the inside of the Dutch oven, and any drippings on the outside as well.
Return to the stovetop, increase heat to medium and add olive oil. Allow the oil to come to temperature, and add the onions and peppers. Sauté about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and maintain a slow simmer with the lid ajar for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the black spaghetti, place a large pot of heavily salted, boiling water over high heat. Stir in the food coloring, and add the noodles. Cook according to package directions and strain well.
Transfer the spaghetti to a serving platter, and top with meat sauce. Cut the olives into thick slices and place in pairs across the top of the sauce. Serve and enjoy.
Serves 8.
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