Description
A festive and colorful Halloween side dish featuring dyed tortellini, mozzarella cheese skulls, pepperoni, and fresh veggies tossed in a tangy homemade red wine vinaigrette. Perfect for adding spooky fun to your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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
For the Halloween Salad:
- 4 ounces pearl size fresh mozzarella balls
- 8 ounces fresh or frozen tortellini
- Gel food coloring (orange, green, and purple) for dying tortellini
- 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. Secure the lid and shake vigorously until the mixture is emulsified and thickened. Set aside to let flavors meld.
- Prepare Cheese Skulls: Blot mozzarella pearls dry with a paper towel. Place one pearl into each cavity of a 1-inch skull-shaped silicone mold. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, watching closely to soften without browning. Using the back of a spoon, press the softened cheese into the mold’s crevices. Chill the mold in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes until cheese solidifies. Carefully pop out the shaped cheese skulls.
- Cook and Color Tortellini: Cook tortellini according to package directions and drain well. Divide the cooked tortellini evenly into three separate bowls each containing ¾ cup of cool water mixed with a few drops of gel food coloring (orange, green, purple respectively). Let tortellini soak for 5 minutes to absorb colors. Drain and rinse with cold water, then gently pat dry with paper towels.
- Assemble the Salad: Just before serving, combine spring mix, shaped pepperoni, halved tomatoes, sliced sweet peppers, sliced kalamata olives, cheese skulls, and dyed tortellini in a large bowl. Toss lightly and dress with the prepared red wine vinaigrette to taste. Serve any remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
- For best texture, serve this salad the same day it is dressed; avoid tossing greens with dressing too far in advance to prevent sogginess.
- If leftovers are expected, dress individual servings and store salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
