Description
This Creepy Crawly Pasta Salad is a fun and festive Halloween-themed side dish featuring rotini pasta tossed with olives, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and cucumber in a creamy Italian dressing. Garnished with olive ‘spiders’ or candy ‘worms,’ it’s perfect for spooky gatherings and kid-friendly celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini or tri-color pasta
- 1 cup black olives, sliced (reserve some whole for “bugs”)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup mini mozzarella balls
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish (Optional)
- Plastic or candy “crawly” decorations (like gummy worms or plastic spiders – not edible)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely, preventing it from sticking.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta with sliced olives, cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, and diced cucumber.
- Toss with Dressing: Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta salad and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and to serve chilled.
- Add Festive Garnish: Just before serving, arrange sliced olives as “spiders” by using one olive half as the body and thin olive slices as legs, or place edible candy worms atop the salad for a fun Halloween touch. Remove any plastic, non-edible decorations if used.
Notes
- To create olive “spiders,” cut one olive in half for the body and slice another into thin strips for legs.
- Make it a meal by adding diced salami or chickpeas for extra protein.
- Keep decorations age-appropriate and ensure any non-edible items are removed before serving to kids.
