Bloody Spaghetti with Sausage Fingers
This playful dish transforms classic spaghetti into a spooky, chaotic feast by incorporating crispy sausage fingers, a rich tomato sauce, and gory accents. The dish features al dente noodles coated in smoky, tangy sauce with crispy sausage pieces that resemble fingers, topped with briny olives and vibrant red food coloring for a gory effect. It’s a fun, messy, and satisfying meal perfect for Halloween or any spooky celebration.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Deep skillet or saucepan
- Sharp paring knife
- Wooden spoon
- Cooking tongs
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti good durum wheat for al dente texture
- 4 links Italian sausages preferably spicy for extra flavor
- 400 g crushed tomatoes canned for brightness and tang
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin preferred
- 1/4 cup black olives sliced
- 2 tbsp capers rinsed
- few drops red food coloring or beet juice for gory effect
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until fragrant and golden, about 2-3 minutes. The aroma should be warm and inviting.
- Slice the sausages into thick, finger-length pieces, about 2-3 cm each. Fry them in a separate pan over medium-high heat until browned and crispy, roughly 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally. They should look juicy and slightly charred at the edges.
- Transfer the cooked sausage fingers to a paper towel to drain excess fat. In the same skillet, add a splash more oil if needed, then pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and releases a smoky aroma.
- Stir in the chopped basil, sliced black olives, and capers. Add a few drops of red food coloring or beet juice to create a bloody, gory effect. Mix well, letting the sausages soak up the red hue as they sit in the sauce.
- Combine the drained pasta with the sauce and sausage fingers, tossing gently to coat everything evenly. The sausage pieces should look oozy and the sauce should shimmer with a smoky, tangy sheen. The aroma should be rich and inviting.
- Transfer the pasta to serving plates, arranging the sausage fingers for a creepy, crawling effect. Garnish with extra olives or sauce around the edges if you'd like to enhance the gory look.
Notes
For extra gore, use more red food coloring or beet juice. The sausages can be sliced into different shapes for variety, and feel free to add more briny ingredients for a salty punch.