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Spooky Blood-Red Pasta with Sausage and 'Fingers'

This dish features pasta coated in a vibrant red sauce made from spiced tomato and savory sausage, shaped to resemble grotesque fingers for a Halloween-themed presentation. The process includes cooking the pasta and sausage together, shaping the pasta into finger-like structures, and creating a gruesome, blood-red appearance for a fun, spooky meal. The final dish has a saucy, slightly chewy texture with playful, finger-like pasta shapes that are perfect for festive parties.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Halloween
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz pasta (penne or spaghetti)
  • 1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
  • 2 cups tomato sauce spiced for flavor
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder adds depth and spice
  • to taste salt and pepper
  • 1 cup blood-red marinara for extra spooky color
  • optional olive oil for frying sausage

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Slotted spoon
  • Baking sheet
  • Cooking utensils

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, following package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it apart with a spatula until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add the minced garlic and chili powder to the sausage, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce and blood-red marinara, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5-7 minutes to develop flavor and thicken slightly.
  5. Measure out small portions of cooked pasta, then gently shape each into a finger-like form by elongating with your hands or a spoon, flattening one end for a 'nail' and tapering the other for a finger shape.
  6. Place the pasta fingers on a baking sheet and spoon some of the spicy sausage sauce over each piece, letting it drip down to mimic blood.
  7. Drizzle or carefully spoon extra red marinara around the base of the pasta fingers to enhance the bloody effect.
  8. Optional: Use thin slices of black olive or green bell pepper for 'nails' by pressing them onto the shaped pasta fingers for a spooky touch.
  9. Serve the spooky pasta fingers immediately, allowing the sauce to be warm and the shapes to stand out visually.

Notes

For extra gory effect, add chopped green herbs or shredded cheese for 'flesh' details. Be playful with shapes and decorations!