This playful recipe is a fun and creative way to make a simple meal memorable. The hot dog “tentacles” curl up as they cook, turning a standard dish into an under-the-sea adventure.
Ingredients
- For the Hot Dogs:
- 8 hot dogs
- 1 (16-ounce) box of spaghetti
- For the Sauce (Optional):
- Your favorite marinara or cheese sauce
- For the ‘Eyes’ (Optional):
- Sesame seeds or a small dot of mustard/ketchup for each octopus
Tools
- Large pot
- Sharp knife or kitchen shears
- Cutting board
Instructions
- Prepare the hot dogs. Take one hot dog and, using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut it lengthwise about halfway up from the bottom.
- Cut the tentacles. Rotate the hot dog 90 degrees and cut it lengthwise again, about halfway up. You should now have four “tentacles.”
- Create more tentacles. Carefully cut each of the four sections in half lengthwise, again only going partway up. This will give you eight tentacles per hot dog.
- Repeat. Repeat this process for all eight hot dogs.
- Cook the spaghetti. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.
- Cook the ‘octopuses’. While the spaghetti is cooking, or in a separate pot of boiling water, add the cut hot dogs. As they cook, the tentacles will curl and spread out, creating the octopus shape. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble and serve. Drain the spaghetti and arrange it on a plate. Place the cooked octopus hot dogs on top of the spaghetti “sea.” If using, add your favorite sauce and a tiny dot of mustard or ketchup for the eyes, and serve immediately.
