Description
A festive and colorful Halloween side dish featuring a vibrant salad with dyed tortellini, spooky mozzarella skulls, pepperoni bats, and a zesty red wine vinaigrette. Perfect for adding a fun, seasonal touch to your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Halloween Salad
- 4 ounces pearl size fresh mozzarella balls
- 8 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini
- Gel food coloring for dying tortellini (orange, green, purple)
- 8 ounces spring mix or arugula
- 4 ounces thick-cut pepperoni cut into shapes with a bat cookie cutter or cubed
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 6 mini sweet peppers thinly sliced crosswise
- ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives sliced crosswise
Instructions
- Make the Vinaigrette: In a jar or dressing bottle with a tight-fitting lid, combine minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Close the lid and shake vigorously until the mixture is emulsified and thickened. Set aside.
- Prepare Mozzarella Skulls: Blot the mozzarella balls dry with a paper towel. Place one mozzarella ball into each cavity of a 1-inch skull-shaped silicone mold. Microwave on high for 30 seconds while watching closely to avoid browning. Once softened, use the back of a spoon to press the cheese into the crevices of the mold. Transfer the mold to the refrigerator to cool and re-solidify for about 5 minutes. Carefully pop the cheese skulls out of the molds.
- Cook and Dye Tortellini: Cook the tortellini according to package instructions and drain. In three separate bowls, mix a few drops of gel food coloring with ¾ cup cool water for each color (orange, green, purple). Divide the cooked tortellini evenly among the bowls and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the tortellini with cold water, then gently pat dry with paper towels.
- Assemble the Salad: Just before serving, combine the spring mix or arugula, molded mozzarella skulls, dyed tortellini, pepperoni shapes, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced mini sweet peppers, and sliced kalamata olives in a large bowl. Toss gently and lightly dress the salad with the prepared red wine vinaigrette to taste. Serve any remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
- For best texture, toss the salad with dressing just before serving to avoid sogginess.
- If you expect leftovers, drizzle dressing over individual servings instead of the whole salad, then store salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one day.
- Use a silicone mold to achieve clean, defined shapes for the mozzarella skulls.
- Be cautious microwaving the mozzarella to soften without browning by watching closely.
- Pat tortellini dry gently to prevent excess water from watering down the salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
