Take your fresh mozzarella pearls and use a small straw or the tip of a paring knife to gouge a tiny hole in the center of each cheese ball. Take a slice of black olive and press it firmly into the hole. If the olive slice is too large, you can trim it or use a smaller piece of olive. Set these “eyeballs” aside on a plate. If you are using meatballs, you can also press an eyeball into the center of each cooked meatball for a more gruesome look.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until it reaches al dente texture. Drain the pasta, but reserve about half a cup of the starchy pasta water. This water helps the sauce cling to the noodles perfectly.

While the pasta boils, pour your marinara sauce into a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the pre-cooked meatballs to the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water.

Toss the cooked spaghetti with the marinara sauce and meatballs until every strand is coated in “bloody” red sauce. Twirl a generous portion of pasta onto each plate. Strategically place 3 to 4 meatballs on top. Finally, nestle your prepared mozzarella eyeballs onto the meatballs and among the pasta strands so they appear to be “peering” out at the diner. Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve immediately.