Halloween Black Spiders' Leg Noodles
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Halloween black spiders’ leg noodles toss inky squid ink linguine with roasted butternut squash, orange bell peppers, garlic, and Kalamata olives. A vegetarian Halloween pasta with bold spooky color contrast.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minHalloween black spiders’ leg noodles is a vegetarian pasta that earns its creepy name from striking squid-ink black linguine tangled with bright orange roasted vegetables. The visual impact is half the dish: long, jet-black noodles spilling around glowing pumpkin-orange butternut squash and peppers like a nest of spider legs.
The roasting is what carries the flavor. Cubed squash and bell peppers go into a hot 425°F (220°C) oven with garlic, fresh thyme, and red pepper flakes for 30 minutes, long enough to char the edges and concentrate the natural sweetness. Without that deep roast, the dish would taste flat against the assertive black pasta.
The smart move from the recipe is pouring the reserved pasta water back over the hot sheet pan to deglaze all the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom. That flavorful liquid coats the pasta along with the vegetables, plus a handful of briny chopped Kalamata olives for salty depth. Three courses of texture and bold flavor in one bowl.
Pro Tips
- Squid ink (or black) pasta is a specialty item. Look for it at Italian markets, gourmet stores, or order online a few days ahead. Plain spaghetti or linguine works in a pinch but loses the spooky factor.
- Cut the squash and peppers to similar ¾ to 1-inch sizes so they finish roasting at the same rate. Mismatched sizes mean burnt edges and undercooked centers.
- Don’t crowd the sheet pan. Vegetables in a single layer with space around each piece roast and brown; piled-up vegetables steam.
- The squid ink pasta will turn your wooden spoons gray, so use a metal slotted spoon or stainless tongs for tossing.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
Add squash and bell peppers with garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, oil, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl, toss to evenly coat.
Spread evenly a single layer in a 17- by 11-inch 4-sided sheet pan.
Roast, stirring once, until vegetables are just tender and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.
While vegetables finish roasting, cook linguine in a big pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot.
Remove sheet pan from oven and pour reserved water over vegetables, stirring to loosen from pan.
Stir in olives, then vegetable mixture to pasta in pot and toss to combine.
Serve warm.
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