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Pasta Mortem

By 01/18/2024August 14th, 20242 Comments

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I’m really excited about this NEW mold duo from Shaped Ice Molds because not only does it have Horror Movie characters, it also comes with a whole separate mold of SKULLS!! Woohoo!! If you’re new around here and haven’t noticed…I use skull molds ALL THE TIME in my creations and I get asked ALL THE TIME where I get my skull molds. And unfortunately, because I buy molds throughout the year, every year, some of my molds are quite old and often the company where I got them are not in business anymore. Now, I’m so happy that I’ll be able to refer folks to these molds.  I used the skull mold to make a spooky spaghetti and meatballs, where I molded a delicious Italian sausage mixture into mini skulls…I call it Pasta Mortem!  Checkout the recipe and how to below. Enjoy!

Pasta Mortem

Add screams of delight to spaghetti night by making these macabre meatballs skulls using a mold from Shaped Ice Molds. They're To. Die. For. 🔪
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Halloween Food, Italian
Keyword: Halloween, marinara, pasta, Sausage, skull meatballs, spaghetti
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

Pasta Mortem

  • 12 oz. Mild Italian sausage
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp. parsley, dried
  • ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 12 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce (Or try my Easy Marinara sauce below)
  • parmesan cheese and basil (garnish)

Easy Marinara Sauce

  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 2 tbsp. cream (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Skull Meatballs (Make ahead)

  • Puree sausage, onion garlic, seasonings, ricotta and egg in a food processor. Spoon mixture into skull mold, pressing the mixture in the mold. Freeze briefly ~20 minutes and press slightly frozen mixture down into the mold, then freeze for a minimum of one hour and unmold. Repeat with remaining meat mixture. Makes approximately 3.5 dozen. Place molded skulls in a freezer safe container and keep frozen until ready to bake.

Easy Marinara (Make ahead)

  • Cook onions and carrots in a medium saucepan over medium heat until onions are translucent ~8 minutes. Add San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, tomato paste and turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, puree and 2 tablespoons of cream add salt and pepper to taste. This sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Pasta Mortem

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Place frozen skulls on a parchment lined cookie sheet allow them to thaw slightly while the oven comes to temperature.
  • Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Heat your favorite spaghetti sauce in a large saucepan and allow to simmer on low while the meatballs bake.
  • Bake skull meatballs for 10 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and add them to your favorite marinara sauce to coat* and serve immediately over cooked spaghetti. Garnish with chopped basil and parmesan cheese.
    *I don't recommend cooking the skull meatballs in the sauce as the skull details will be lost. Baking first, and coating them with sauce retains the details best. Serve immediately.

Notes

This post contains affiliate links, where I earn a small commission when a purchase is made.
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2 Comments

  • Lisa Marie says:

    Lori,

    I am just thrilled to have found your website with all your super creative Halloween finger foods and appetizers !!! I love every
    creation you come up with !!!! I am a huge Halloween fanatic and cant wait to make a bunch of your Halloween appetizers, for my next Halloween
    Party !!! Your recipes give me so much inspiration !!!

    Thank You so much for all your awesome photos and recipes !!!

    • Lori Castellon says:

      Thank you Lisa Marie! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my creations, I do have a lot of fun with it. If you make some of them, I’d love to see how they come out so please tag me on socials when you do! Thanks again my dear. Happy Halloween!🎃…only 204 days left.
      🖤Lori

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