Every year, I see recipes for Halloween pasta using black squid ink pasta. It always looks so fun for this time of year. Pasta is typically a fast and easy meal to make, so, after years of thinking about it, I finally found a place that sells black squid ink pasta (Cost Plus) and decided to make my own version of Halloween Spaghetti Monster. The results were delicious, even if my pictures were complete fails. (Please don’t tell me it looks like a dog.)

Black Squid Ink Pasta is made from durum semolina wheat, water, and 1% squid ink. I was always nervous that it would taste fishy, but that’s not the case. Instead, it tastes just like bland wheat pasta. The creepiest thing about black squid ink pasta is the boiling water turns a deep charcoal color and look like slimy worms once drained.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Plain Spaghetti
1 pkg Black Squid Ink Pasta
1 jar Traditional Marinara or Pasta Sauce
Black Olives (1/2 cut for monster nose and mouth)
Green Olives (for monster eyes)
Dash of Parmesan Cheese

Sauce Instructions:

• For best results, follow instructions on jar
• Add sauce to crock pot along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Cook for 3 hours on high/1 hour on low

Pasta Instructions:

• For best results, follow instructions on pasta packages
• Cook both pastas in separate big pots full of lightly salted water
  1. Spaghetti for 12-14 min
  2. Black squid ink pasta for 7-9 min (takes slightly less than regular pasta)
• Drain water and return to the pots
• Serve in bowl and add pasta sauce
• Use olives to make monster face

All reheats nicely with a little tab of butter. Happy Halloween!