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I have been dying to make this pasta dish from the moment my husband uttered the words…Pasta Screamavera! My husband is amazing with play on words and I often turn to him when I need help naming some of my Halloween dishes. He’s the mad genius behind naming my Grim and Tonic and Queso Contagion recipes. For this recipe, I used the new Horror Movie Character Mold from Shaped Ice Molds to mold mozzarella cheeseballs into Ghostfaces. I added peppers, zucchini, and onions as a nod to classic Pasta Primavera, but in order for my kids to eat it, I added mini pepperoni and pesto too. With the cheese and pepperoni and all the Italian herbs, its kind of like a pizza inspired pasta salad and it’s absolutely delicious! Enjoy!
Pasta Screamavera
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella balls, pearl sized
- 1 package squid ink fusilli pasta, cooked
- 5 oz. mini pepperoni slices
- 2 medium zucchini, diced small
- 1 large red bell peppers, diced
- 1 medium shallot, finely minced
- 1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
- 1½ cups bottled Italian dressing
- ½ cup prepared pesto
- 1 tbsp. garlic, grated on micro plane
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- fresh basil and parsley (garnish)
Instructions
- Mold the Cheese: Preheat oven to 350°. Add two pearl-sized cheese balls into each silicone ghostface mold and heat for about 8 minutes to soften the cheese. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to smash the softened mozzarella ball and work it into the mold. Excess liquid will be released from the fresh mozzarella and will be hot, so take care not to burn yourself while you work the cheese into the mold. Transfer the mold into the refrigerator and allow to chill for 10 minutes before removing them from the mold. Place molded cheese in a plastic container and repeat with remaining pearls of cheese. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and add pepperoni, red bell peppers, zucchini, shallots, dried Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, mix Italian dressing, prepared Pesto and garlic and add about half of the dressing to the pasta. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. When ready to serve, add the cheese Ghostfaces and top with the remaining vinaigrette. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add fresh basil and parsley to garnish.
