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This fresh and fun Halloween pasta salad is the perfect appetizer or side for your party spread. Purple pasta and sweet veggies get tossed in zesty Italian dressing, then “decorated” with cucumber skulls and cheesy olive eyeballs. Kids and adults both go wild for it! This is such an adorable and easy Halloween party food idea! Try it alongside my Easy Halloween Focaccia Bread for a colorful party spread.
Table of Contents
- A Zesty Pasta Recipe for a Halloween Party
- Why You’ll Love This Pasta Salad Recipe
- Halloween Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Supplies You’ll Need
- Spooky Pasta Salad Variations (Easy Swaps)
- How to Make Halloween Pasta Salad
- Yield, Storage & Make-Ahead (Cold Pasta Salad)
- Halloween Party Serving Tips (Cold Pasta Salad)
- More Halloween Party Food Ideas
- Halloween Pasta Salad Recipe
- Yield & Storage
- FAQs for Halloween Pasta Salad
A Zesty Pasta Recipe for a Halloween Party
This Halloween skull pasta salad looks elaborate but comes together easily and quickly.
The trick is tinting the cooking water so the spirals turn a deep purple, then adding playful garnishes like these adorable cucumber “skulls” and mozzarella-olive “eyeballs.”
It’s festive, colorful, and always a conversation starter.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Salad Recipe
- Eye-catching: Cucumber skulls + mozzarella “eyeballs” = instant Halloween wow!
- Simple pantry ingredients: Just a classic Italian pasta salad base.
- Make ahead: Chills well and tastes even better after an hour.
- Customizable: Swap the meat, dressing, or colors to fit your vibe.
- Delicious: Use your favorite Italian dressing and good smoky ham, and you’ll have a tasty Halloween side dish salad!
Make it ahead for busy party days: the flavors of this Halloween Pasta Salad improve as it chills, and the cucumbers stay crisp if you add some on top just before serving.
Serve as a side dish for 8 (about 1½ cups each), or pair it with a protein for an easy lunch.
Customize with your favorite meat (or keep it meat-free) and adjust the dressing to taste.
Prefer not to use food coloring? Try naturally colored pasta (spinach, edamame, black bean, or squid ink), or switch up the palette with green or orange for different Halloween vibes.
Halloween Pasta Salad Ingredients
For exact amounts, see the recipe card below.
- Cucumbers
- Short Pasta (rotini/spirals recommended)
- Black or Purple Food Coloring
- Ham
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Shredded Carrots
- Italian Dressing (start with 1 cup; add more to taste)
- Mozzarella Pearls
- Sliced Olives
Supplies You’ll Need
You probably already have everything you need to make Cucumber Skull Pasta Salad
- Sharp Knife
- Piping Tip or Small Bottle Cap
- Heavy-Bottomed Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Plastic Wrap
Spooky Pasta Salad Variations (Easy Swaps)
- Tortellini: Use 18–20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (or 8 oz dyed spirals + 10–12 oz tortellini for color + texture). Cook just to al dente, rinse cool, and toss with 1–2 Tbsp dressing or olive oil so they don’t stick. Start with ¾–1 cup dressing in the salad and fold gently. Best within 1–2 days refrigerated.
- Protein: pepperoni, salami, or shredded chicken instead of ham.
- Dressing: homemade Italian, balsamic vinaigrette, or a creamy Italian (color may look lighter on dark pasta).
- Colors: green or orange food coloring for other Halloween vibes.
- Anytime version: skip the skull cut-outs and eyeballs; it’s a classic pasta salad year-round.
How to Make Halloween Pasta Salad
Make the Cucumber Skulls
- Slice cucumbers into ¼-inch rounds. Use the large end of a piping tip (or bottle cap) to punch cheek hollows at ~5 and 7 o’clock.
- Flip the tip and use the small end to punch two eyes. With a paring knife, add two short slits between the cheeks for “teeth.” Chill.
Dye the Pasta Water
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Tint with food coloring until very dark (black dye usually yields deep purple pasta; purple dye does too).
- Salt the water.
Cook, Drain, Rinse
- Boil pasta per package.
- Drain, then rinse briefly with cool water to stop cooking and set color.
Cooking Tip: Dye the water (not the pasta after cooking) for the most even, saturated color without sticky residue.
Toss
- Tip: Pat cucumbers dry if very wet so dressing clings.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, half the cucumber skulls, ham, halved tomatoes, onion, carrots, about 1 cup dressing (add more to taste), and half the mozzarella.
- Toss to coat.
Decorate
- Top with remaining cucumber skulls.
- Scatter remaining mozzarella and place an olive slice on each pearl to make eyeballs.
Chill & Serve
- Cover and refrigerate your Halloween party pasta salad for at least 1 hour so flavors meld.
- Serve with extra dressing, if needed.
Yield, Storage & Make-Ahead (Cold Pasta Salad)
- Makes ~12 cups total; 8 side-dish servings (~1½ cups each).
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container 3–4 days. Stir and add a splash of dressing if it seems dry. (Do not freeze; the pasta and veggies weep on thawing.)
Halloween Party Serving Tips (Cold Pasta Salad)
- Serve in a shallow bowl set over a larger bowl of ice; refresh the ice as it melts.
- Put out half the salad and keep the rest chilled; swap in a fresh, cold bowl every 45–60 minutes.
- Keep the dressing cold; add a small splash to “refresh” just before each swap if the salad looks dry.
- Use clean utensils and avoid guests double-dipping to reduce contamination.
More Halloween Party Food Ideas
- Easy Halloween Focaccia Bread
- Halloween Eyeball Hot Cocoa Bombs
- Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies
- Halloween Witch Hat Cupcakes
- Spooky Halloween Party Punch
- See all Halloween Recipes here
If you make this fun Halloween Pasta Salad recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below with a star rating. I’d love to hear from you!
Halloween Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Cucumbers, washed
- 1 16-oz box Short Pasta (I like rotini-spiral)
- Water (per package + salt)
- Black or Purple Food Coloring
- 1 ½ cups Diced Ham
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- ½ Red Onion, diced
- ⅓ cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 16-oz bottle Italian Dressing (use ~1 cup to start; add more to taste)
- 1 8-oz package Mozzarella Pearls
- 1 3-oz can Sliced Olives, drained
Instructions
Make the Cucumber Skulls
- Slice cucumbers into ¼-inch rounds. Use the large end of a piping tip (or a clean bottle cap) to punch cheek hollows at the 5 and 7 o’clock positions.
- Flip the tip and use the small end to punch two eyes. With a paring knife, add two short slits between the cheeks for “teeth.” Refrigerate to keep crisp.
Tint the Cooking Water
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add food coloring until the water looks very dark (black or purple both yield deep purple pasta). Salt the water.
- Cooking Tip: Dye the water—not the cooked pasta—for the most even color without sticky residue.
Cook the Pasta
- Add pasta and boil per package directions until al dente. Drain, then rinse briefly with cool water to stop cooking and help set the color.
Toss the Salad
- In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, about 1 cup Italian dressing (add more to taste if needed, or before serving), ham, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, shredded carrots, half the mozzarella pearls, and half of the cucumber skulls. Gently toss to coat.
Decorate
- Top with remaining cucumber skulls. Scatter the remaining mozzarella pearls over the top and place an olive slice on each pearl to make “eyeballs.”
Chill & Serve
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so flavors meld. Stir and add a splash of dressing before serving if needed.
Notes
- Start with 1 cup dressing; add more to taste.
- Dark pasta color may lighten slightly after rinsing/chilling.
Yield & Storage
- Makes ~12 cups total; 8 side-dish servings (~1½ cups each).
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container 3–4 days. Stir and add a splash of dressing if it seems dry. (Do not freeze; the pasta and veggies weep on thawing.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs for Halloween Pasta Salad
Large regular or English cucumbers are best for ¼-inch rounds. Persian cucumbers are usually too small for clean “skull” cutouts.
Follow the package; ~6 cups per 1 pound is typical for home pots. Use enough to cover the pasta fully and allow room to boil.
No. Try naturally colored pastas like spinach, edamame, black bean, or squid ink. The look changes, but the salad works the same.
Yes, just toss up to a day ahead. Add a splash of dressing before serving if needed, then decorate with skulls/eyeballs so they stay crisp.
A pinch of red pepper flakes or hot sauce for heat; grated or shredded Parmesan for savoriness; or whisk 3 Tbsp mayo into the dressing for a creamy version.
Yes, refrigerated cheese tortellini works well. Use 18–20 oz to keep the yield at about 8 side-dish servings. For dramatic color, dye 8 oz spirals and mix with 10–12 oz undyed tortellini (tortellini doesn’t take deep color evenly). Cook just to al dente (2–4 minutes), drain, and briefly rinse to cool. Toss with 1–2 Tbsp Italian dressing or olive oil to prevent sticking. Start with ¾–1 cup dressing in the salad; add more to taste just before serving. Fold gently so tortellini don’t split, and add the cucumber skulls and mozzarella-olive “eyeballs” last. Best within 1–2 days refrigerated.
Up to 2 hours at typical indoor temperatures, or 1 hour if it’s 90°F or hotter. Keep it cold on ice and rotate in a fresh, refrigerated bowl as needed. After the time limit, discard what’s been sitting out.
