Description
Spooky pasta for Halloween made with squid ink spaghetti, mushroom skulls, and a creamy bacon sauce. Fun, festive, and ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
400g squid ink spaghetti
16 button mushrooms (small, oval preferred)
2½ tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely diced
100g lean short cut bacon
2–3 garlic cloves
125ml dry white wine
125ml thickened cream
85g finely grated parmesan cheese
½ bunch fresh thyme (leaves only)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Carve mushrooms before halving; use a straw for eyes, a skewer for noses, and a knife for teeth. Cut each into two skull halves.
2. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente; reserve some cooking water before draining.
3. In a large pan, melt 2 tbsp butter with olive oil over medium heat. Place mushroom skulls cut side down, brown lightly, flip, remove, and set aside.
4. Melt remaining ½ tbsp butter in the same pan. Sauté onion until soft, then add bacon and cook 2–3 minutes.
5. Add garlic and wine; simmer until reduced by half.
6. Stir in cream; cook until thickened slightly. Add most of the parmesan, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add drained pasta to sauce, tossing to coat. If too thick, loosen with reserved pasta water. Fold in mushroom skulls.
8. Serve immediately with thyme and remaining parmesan.
Notes
Mushroom skulls can be carved a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
Creamy bacon sauce can be prepped ahead; loosen with pasta water when reheating.
For a vegetarian version, swap bacon with shiitake mushrooms.
Adjust salt if using salted butter or salty bacon.
Low-fat cream may be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Halloween Recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Halloween / Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 850
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 615mg
- Fat: 43g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 83g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 99mg