Description
Spooky Spaghetti & Cheesy Monster Meatballs is a fun Halloween pasta dinner made with saucy spaghetti, tender cheesy meatballs, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and olive monster eyes for a festive family meal everyone will love.
Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
24 ounces marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 black olive slices
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water, then drain and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until just combined.
3. Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides.
5. Pour the marinara sauce into the skillet and simmer the meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fully cooked through.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the tops of the meatballs and let it melt gently.
7. Add black olive slices to each meatball to create monster eyes.
8. Toss the cooked spaghetti with some of the sauce, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
9. Plate the spaghetti, top with the cheesy monster meatballs, spoon over extra sauce, and finish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Use freshly shredded mozzarella if you want a smoother melt over the meatballs.
Do not overmix the meatball mixture or the texture can turn firm instead of tender.
Add the olive eyes after the cheese softens so they stay visible and keep the monster look cute and clear.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 95mg