Halloween Pasta Pirates
Pasta Pirates are a fun, super-easy Halloween appetizer. They could also help lure kids to the dinner table on Halloween night, especially if kids are “Pirates of the Caribbean” fans. Often mealtime gets lost in the rush and excitement of getting ready for trick-or-treating, so kids just fill up on candy the whole night. But these little “snacketizers” offer up some veggie, protein, dairy and carbs all on one skewer.. Kids can help assemble the tortellini, cherry tomatoes or olives, a chunk of string cheese and a pepperoni slice for a pirate hat. I like dunking them in marinara sauce, usually low in fat with nutrition from tomatoes and herbs. But you could also try Alfredo, ranch, cheddar, or pesto.
Kids can choose whether they would rather have olives or tomato pirates, or both. You can add whatever veggies your kids like (or that you’d like them to at least try), such as green or pepper chunks, mushrooms, or thin zucchini or carrot slices.
Pasta Pirates
1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
About 25 cherry or grape tomatoes
About 25 pitted whole olives
5 sticks of string cheese
About 50 slices pepperoni
1-2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2-3 cups marinara sauce
Fill a 3-quart pot halfway with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook for 5-7 minutes. The pasta should be tender, but firm enough to stay on a toothpick.
Drain the pasta, and rinse with cold water.
To assemble the pirates, cut the string cheese into half-inch slices. Thread a slice of the string cheese onto the toothpick. Fold a slice of pepperoni in half and thread it on the toothpick to make the hat. Next add either a cherry tomato or an olive for the face. Finish with a piece of the tortellini for the pirate’s body. Dip the tip of a toothpick in the mayonnaise to paint.
Place the pirates on a serving platter, or on individual plates. Pour the marinara sauce into bowls for dipping. Makes about 50 Pasta Pirates, enough for 6 people to have 8 pirates each.
