Halloween Pasta Salad (Easy Spooky Pesto Pasta
Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Betty Davies
This easy Halloween pasta salad is a fun and spooky side dish perfect for parties and potlucks. Made with green pesto, peas, fresh basil and mozzarella eyeballs, it comes together with minimal effort and is ready to serve 20 minutes.
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Now that I have a daughter, Halloween is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays! She’s so into it, so I love adding a little something special and spooky to dinner time! Halloween food doesn’t just have to be sweet!
This Halloween pasta salad recipe is so simple to make, but those mozzarella and olive eyeballs really made it stand out from the crowd! Great to serve up at a Halloween party or potluck, or serve it alongside your dinner for a touch of creepy on your plate!
This fun and festive Halloween side dish comes together with minimal effort and ingredients. It’s fully kid approved and way better than endless candy!
For more Halloween-themed food, check out my Green Monster Mashed Potatoes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe!
- So easy: If you don’t have hours to spend slaving away for an over the top Halloween dinner, this is a simple and quick way to add something spooky to the table.
- Easy to adapt: You can easily turn this Halloween side dish into a main meal.
- Make ahead: You can easily make this pesto pasta salad a couple of days ahead of time, perfect if you have lots of trick or treaters to wrangle!
- Naturally colored: No need for food dyes. This pasta gets it’s color from green pesto, peas and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- Pasta: I used bowtie pasta for this recipe as, to me, they look subtly like bat wings. You can use other short pastas.
- Peas: Frozen peas add a little veggie goodness and give a pop of green. You can cook them with the pasta, so only one pot needed!
- Pesto: Green pesto adds a color that is perfect for Halloween season.
- Mayonnaise: To make a creamy dressing that coats the pasta really well.
- Dijon Mustard: To add a slight tang.
- Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Eyeballs: Cocktail Bocconcini Cheese and Sliced Black Olives
- Fresh Basil: For garnish. It adds freshness to the finished dish and fits in nicely with the Halloween theme.
How to Make Halloween Pasta Salad
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe instructions!
- Add cold water to a large pot and salt generously. Bring to a boil.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot according to package directions.
- During the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas to the pasta.
- Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain.
- Transfer the pasta back to the pot and add in the ingredients for the pesto dressing.
- Stir well to combine.
- Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and place on the mozzarella eyeballs and basil garnish.
How to Make Mozzarella Eyeballs
Mozzarella and olive eyeballs are incredibly easy to make. Slice small cocktail bocconcini in half and place them cut side up on the pasta salad. Put sliced olives in the centre of each piece of cheese and voila…spooky eyeballs with minimal effort!
Recipe Variations
It’s so easy to make this Halloween pasta salad recipe your own!
- Add more veggies:
- Add other green vegetables like spinach, cucumber slices or green beans.
- Add some other Halloween colors with bell peppers, carrots and cherry tomatoes.
- Stir in some capers for an extra salty and tangy taste.
- Make this pasta salad extra spooky by making it black! Use black bean pasta or squid ink pasta. You can also dye regular pasta with gel food coloring if you like.
- Make it a full meal by adding a protein like shredded chicken or beans.
- Make it vegetarian by using a rennet-free pesto.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can make this Halloween party side dish a day ahead of time and keep it covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, in the fridge. It’s best to add the eyeballs and basil closer to serving so that they look their best. If the pasta salad dries out in the fridge, stir in a little mayonnaise or oil.
Leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days. Not suitable for freezing.
Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
Halloween Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta (454g) I used bowtie pasta, but any short pasta will work well.
- 1½ cups frozen peas (220g)
- 9 ounces green pesto (270ml / 1 jar)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (4 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- 10 cocktail bocconcini balls
- sliced olives
- 1 to 2 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta.1 lb pasta
- In the last couple of minutes of cooking, add in the frozen peas. Drain.1½ cups frozen peas
- Add the drained pasta and peas back to the pot.
- Add the pesto, mayonnaise, mustard, oil and black pepper to the pasta and stir well.9 ounces green pesto, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, black pepper to taste
- Place the pasta in a large serving bowl.
- Cut the bocconcini in half and place cut side up on the pasta. Put olive slices on top to create the eyeballs.10 cocktail bocconcini balls, sliced olives
- Roll up the basil leaves and thinly slice, then place on top of the pasta.1 to 2 fresh basil leaves
- Serve or store. Can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Cook the pasta al dente so that it holds it’s shape well when mixed with the creamy pesto dressing.
- Add the eyeballs and pesto when the pasta has cooled for the best presentation.
- I didn’t add additional salt to this recipe as my pesto had enough seasoning. Taste and season before serving and add in if needed.
