15 Spooky Halloween Pasta Dinners

Pasta night gets a spooky makeover. These 15 Halloween pasta dinners use black pasta, pumpkin sauces, blood-red marinara, and creepy-cute presentations to make dinner feel like part of the celebration. Fun for kids, delicious for everyone.

Below you’ll find 15 reader-favorite recipes, each with a photo, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Save your favorites and enjoy!

1. Black Spaghetti with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Dramatic black pasta in a silky orange pumpkin cream sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb black spaghetti (squid ink)
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook black spaghetti al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2. Melt butter; add sage until fragrant.
3. Whisk in pumpkin, cream, and parmesan.
4. Thin with pasta water as needed.
5. Toss with the spaghetti.
6. Serve with extra parmesan.

2. Bloody Marinara & Meatball Eyeballs

Meatballs with mozzarella 'eyeballs' in a blood-red marinara.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• fresh basil
• 1 lb meatballs

Instructions

1. Simmer tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, and wine 30 minutes.
2. Cook spaghetti al dente.
3. Heat meatballs in the sauce.
4. Top each meatball with a mozzarella slice and olive pupil.
5. Toss pasta with sauce.
6. Serve meatballs on top.

3. Creepy Chicken Alfredo

Rich and ghostly-white Alfredo with chicken and mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccine
• 1 lb chicken breast, sliced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Sear chicken slices; set aside.
2. Sauté mushrooms and garlic in butter.
3. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in parmesan until smooth.
5. Toss with fettuccine and chicken.
6. Garnish with parsley.

4. Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Jumbo shells filled with creamy pumpkin ricotta, baked golden.

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook jumbo shells al dente.
2. Mix pumpkin, ricotta, parmesan, sage, and nutmeg.
3. Fill each shell with the mixture.
4. Arrange in a greased baking dish.
5. Dot with butter; bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
6. Serve warm.

5. Spider Web Black Pasta

Black pasta with a sour cream spider web piped on top.

Ingredients

• 1 lb black bean spaghetti
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• fresh basil

Instructions

1. Cook black bean spaghetti al dente.
2. Heat marinara with Italian seasoning.
3. Toss pasta with sauce.
4. Pipe sour cream in concentric circles.
5. Drag a toothpick through for a web effect.
6. Top with olive 'spiders'.

6. Baked Ziti Monster Mash

Bubbly baked ziti with sausage and three cheeses.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ziti
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara
• 15 oz ricotta
• 2 cups mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 egg
• fresh basil

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage; drain.
2. Mix ricotta, egg, and parmesan.
3. Toss ziti with marinara and sausage.
4. Layer with ricotta mixture and mozzarella.
5. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
6. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

7. Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine

Vampire-repelling garlic butter shrimp over linguine.

Ingredients

• 1 lb linguine
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• red pepper flakes
• fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Sear shrimp 2 minutes per side; set aside.
2. Melt butter; sauté garlic and red pepper flakes.
3. Add wine and lemon juice; simmer 3 minutes.
4. Toss with linguine.
5. Add shrimp back to the pan.
6. Garnish with parsley.

8. Witch's Brew Tortellini

Cheese tortellini in a bubbling parmesan cream 'brew'.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cheese tortellini
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 oz prosciutto, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• nutmeg
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook tortellini al dente.
2. Crisp the prosciutto in butter.
3. Add cream; simmer 4 minutes.
4. Whisk in parmesan and nutmeg.
5. Stir in peas and tortellini.
6. Serve with cracked black pepper.

9. Goblin Green Pesto Pasta

Vivid green pesto pasta with sun-dried tomato 'blood'.

Ingredients

• 1 lb rotini
• 1 cup pesto
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 2 cups baby spinach
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook rotini al dente; reserve pasta water.
2. Toss pasta with pesto, thinning with pasta water.
3. Stir in spinach until wilted.
4. Add sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
5. Top with parmesan.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

10. Mummy Wrapped Baked Mac

Baked mac with mozzarella 'mummy bandages' on top.

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups marinara
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• fresh basil

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni al dente.
2. Brown beef; add marinara and seasoning.
3. Toss with macaroni and half the mozzarella.
4. Transfer to a baking dish.
5. Lay mozzarella slices like bandages; add olive eyes.
6. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

11. Spaghetti Squash 'Brains' Bake

Roasted spaghetti squash strands baked with marinara and cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti squash
• 1 cup marinara
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• fresh basil
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Roast squash halves at 400°F for 40 minutes.
2. Scrape into strands.
3. Toss with marinara and seasoning.
4. Top with mozzarella and parmesan.
5. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.
6. Garnish with basil.

12. Butternut Squash Orzo Risotto

Creamy orzo with roasted butternut squash and sage.

Ingredients

• 1 lb orzo
• 1 butternut squash, cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup parmesan
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sage
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Roast squash at 425°F for 25 minutes.
2. Sauté onion; add orzo and toast 2 minutes.
3. Add broth one cup at a time, stirring.
4. Stir in roasted squash, butter, and parmesan.
5. Season with sage, salt, and pepper.
6. Serve creamy and hot.

13. Bloody Vodka Penne

Silky pink vodka sauce with a kick of red pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne
• 1 cup vodka sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• fresh basil
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Simmer vodka sauce with red pepper flakes 10 minutes.
2. Stir in cream and butter.
3. Toss with penne al dente.
4. Add parmesan.
5. Garnish with basil.
6. Serve immediately.

14. Eyeball Ravioli Bake

Cheese ravioli baked in marinara with mozzarella pearl 'eyeballs'.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cheese ravioli
• 2 cups marinara
• 1 cup mozzarella pearls
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• fresh basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook ravioli 2 minutes less than package.
2. Toss with marinara in a baking dish.
3. Scatter mozzarella pearls on top.
4. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
5. Add olive slices as pupils.
6. Garnish with basil.

15. Midnight Chicken Fettuccine

Black fettuccine in creamy Alfredo — dinner with drama.

Ingredients

• 1 lb black fettuccine
• 1 cup Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp black pepper
• fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook black fettuccine al dente.
2. Heat Alfredo sauce with chicken.
3. Toss pasta with the sauce.
4. Add parmesan and black pepper.
5. Garnish with parsley.
6. Serve hot.