Halloween Spaghetti and Meatballs (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the Meatballs
01 -
1 pound of ground beef
02 -
1 pound of ground pork
03 -
1 cup of breadcrumbs
04 -
2 large eggs
05 -
1 tablespoon of olive oil
06 -
1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
07 -
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
08 -
2 teaspoons of onion powder
09 -
½ teaspoon of salt
10 -
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
→ For the Eyeball Decorations
11 -
8 ounces of sliced provolone cheese
12 -
2.25 ounces of canned sliced black olives
→ For the Pasta
13 -
16 ounces of dried spaghetti
14 -
16 ounces of marinara sauce
# Instructions:
01 -
Start by heating your oven to 400°F. Grab a baking sheet and cover it with either aluminum foil or parchment paper so cleanup is a breeze later.
02 -
Take a large bowl and combine your ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, eggs, olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together really well until it's all evenly incorporated.
03 -
Scoop out portions of the meat mixture and roll them into balls that are roughly 2 inches wide. Arrange them on your lined baking sheet, making sure to leave about half an inch of space between each one.
04 -
Pop the meatballs into your preheated oven and let them bake for 18 to 20 minutes. You're looking for a nice golden brown color on top and they should be cooked all the way through.
05 -
While the meatballs are baking, cut out small circles from the provolone slices—about 1 inch across works perfectly. A mini cookie cutter makes this super easy if you have one.
06 -
Once the meatballs come out of the oven, place one provolone circle on top of each meatball. This will be the white part of your spooky eyeballs.
07 -
Set a black olive slice right in the center of each cheese circle to make the iris and pupil of the eye.
08 -
Put the meatballs back in the oven for just 2 to 3 minutes—you want the provolone to soften and melt just a little bit. Then take them out and set them aside.
09 -
While everything else is happening, get a pot of water boiling on the stove and cook your spaghetti according to what the package directions say.
10 -
Heat up your marinara sauce in a pot, then toss in the cooked spaghetti and stir it all together until the pasta is nicely coated.
11 -
Use tongs to twirl some spaghetti onto each plate, then nestle a few eyeball meatballs right on top. If you'd like, sprinkle some extra parsley over everything before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
Rao's marinara is a great choice, but honestly any jarred spaghetti sauce you like will work just fine here.
02 -
Feel free to use sliced mozzarella instead of provolone if that's what you have on hand.
03 -
Black olives tend to be milder and more kid-friendly, but green olives work too if you want a different look.
04 -
Short on time? You can totally cheat and use frozen meatballs—just bake them as the package says, then add the cheese and olives on top.