I had seen a recipe for gnocchi a few months ago and I thought the shape looked a lot like a grub, so that gave me an idea to think of a fun recipe to do for spooktob3r. I wasn’t quite sure how to make it look more like a grub, but I wasn’t the only one who thought that these pasta dumplings looked like bugs, and this recipe I found gave me the idea of adding the little face to add to the realism. Though, in the video, they used activated charcoal to color the mouth instead of cocoa powder. But, activated charcoal can be a bit problematic to consume if you are taking medication, so I opted to substitute it with a similar colored powder that’s a bit safer to eat for those taking medication, and I think it turned out pretty good.
And normally gnocchi is made with potatoes, but because it’s also fall time, I thought it would be nice to make a more seasonal recipe. I was originally going to include using a pumpkin to make the puree from scratch, but this recipe is already pretty labor intensive making all of the gnocchi, so I opted to just use canned puree. But, keep an eye out for a future recipe, where I’ll show you how to make it. Also, you are of course welcome to substitute the pumpkin puree with 2 cups of boiled and mashed potatoes instead if you wish to make a more traditional gnocchi. And the filling is optional as well, but I thought it would be fun to have the gnocchi grubs filled with green “blood” to add even more spookiness and deliciousness. And of course, you can shape these into normal gnocchi as well if you’re a bit squeamish of the shape that these come in. Spinach & Ricotta-stuffed Pumpkin Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce sounds a lot more appetizing than Creepy Grub Pasta, but they’re both just as delicious.
But regardless of what shape you decide to make the gnocchi in, it’s actually really easy to make these ahead and freeze them so you can quickly cook up a bunch as needed, such as when your induction stovetop is being temperamental. After forming the gnocchi, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet that’s dusted with flour to prevent sticking. I recommend bending it into the larva shape before freezing it, but I forgot. But thankfully, if your dough is already frozen, you can take them out to thaw them and just wait a few minutes for the dough to resoften and then bend them before throwing them into the water. I highly recommend doing this step as I think it’s the most important for making the gnocchi look like the real thing, but make your gnocchi as you wish.
But once you’re ready to freeze them, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the gnocchi are solid, about 2 hours or so. Then, transfer the frozen gnocchi to an airtight container or freezer bag and these should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Then, when you’re ready to cook them, you can add the frozen gnocchi directly to the boiling salted water without thawing. They’ll take a little longer to cook than unfrozen gnocchi, but they should cook in the same way, with them being ready to add to the sauce once they float to the top of the water.
Speaking of the sauce, I wanted to keep it pretty simple with the sage butter, but you are of course welcome to use any other sauce, such as a tomato sauce or even add it to a soup, such as the monster soup we made last week to add even more spooky flavors to the dish. But, regardless of what sauce you use, this Creepy Grub Pasta will surely be a hit at your halloween party and will be a delicious dish if your guests are brave enough to try this creepy crawly copycat.
Ingredients:
- 1 can or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of Pumpkin Puree
- 2 cups of 00 flour for a softer chew (or all purpose flour works as well) plus more for dusting
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (for the grub head)
- Spinach & Ricotta Filling:
- 3 1/2 cups of spinach
- 1/4 cup or so of ricotta
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan
- 1 more egg
- Another pinch of nutmeg
- Some salt and pepper
- Sage Butter Sauce:
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 bunch of sage
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- Some parmesan for garnish
- Some pepper, if desired
Step 1: Prepare Gnocchi Dough
First, we’ll prepare the gnocchi dough, so in a large mixing bowl, add in your flour and then mix in your salt and nutmeg. If your pumpkin puree is a bit watery, simmer it in a pan to help remove some of the liquid and let it cool before mixing it into the flour and add in the egg as well.
Continue mixing your dough until it starts to turn orange. If it’s not forming into a dough after mixing for a little while and your dough is a little too wet, add in some more flour and mix it until it combines.
Then, once the dough starts to form, transfer it to the kitchen counter or cutting board dusted with some more flour and keep kneading it until all the flour is absorbed.
When your dough is fully formed, shape it into a ball and then place it under your mixing bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes or so, while we prepare the filling.
Step 2: Prepare Spinach & Ricotta Filling
In a pan, add in your spinach and some salt and heat this over medium-low heat until it wilts. Let this cool and then transfer this to a cheesecloth, paper towel, or mesh strainer, and strain out any liquid.
Give this a chop and then add this into a mixing bowl, along with the ricotta (straining it if needed as well), parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, and give this a mix.
Step 3: Cut Gnocchi Dough into Quarters & Prepare for Shaping
Once your filling is ready, we’ll begin shaping the grub gnocchi, so grab your dough and cut it into 4 quarters and set one quarter aside to make your grub mouth later.
For the other 3 quarters, dust a cutting board with some flour and roll each quarter making a long thick cord about an inch or so thick in diameter, and then cut this into 1 inch or so pieces.
Step 4: Fill & Shape Gnocchi
Then, for each piece of dough, roll it between your palms to make a ball, then press it on your palm to make a disc. Using a small spoon, place about a teaspoon or so of the filling in the center of the disc and close the dough on itself, and then roll it again between your palms to seal the gnocchi and make it smooth and then, using a fork, gnocchi board, or clean(!) comb, carefully roll your gnocchi to give them ridges to make it look like the body of a grub.
I wouldn’t worry too much if some of the filling pokes out during this process, just try to seal any big holes in the dough and try to keep the filling inside as much as possible.
This step will take a while so take your time and try your best to fill these as best as possible and keep dusting each piece to keep things from sticking to each other.
Step 5: Create Cocoa Powder Mouth & Shape Gnocchi into Grubs
But, once your grub bodies are done, for the heads, grab the quarter you set aside and add in your cocoa powder and knead this until the color has been evenly distributed.
Then, divide this dough into small bean-sized pieces and then attach these to each grub gnocchi body.
It might take a bit of pinching to get it to stick, but just keep carefully pinching and pulling the end of the dough and it should eventually stick together.
Also give your gnocchi a bit of a bend at this time as well to add an additional layer of larval realism to it.
Step 6: Prepare Boiling Water & Start Cooking Sage Butter Sauce
Once your gnocchi are ready, add some water to a large pot and bring this to a boil. While the water is heating up, we’ll prepare the sauce, so heat a frying pan on medium heat, and once that’s hot, place some of the butter into the pan.
Then, while the butter is melting, add in some sage, placing the sage in whole or pulling the leaves off. Continue cooking the butter and sage together to help infuse the flavor into the butter and make sure to keep stirring the butter with a wooden spoon for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat and lower it if the butter starts to burn too quickly.
Step 7: Boil Gnocchi & Start Cooking Sage Butter Sauce
Once the water is boiling, add in some salt and give it a stir to help it dissolve. Next, add in the grub gnocchi and boil them until they come to the surface of the water and wait a little until a bunch rise so you can grab a bunch at once with a strainer, about 3-4 minutes or so.
Step 8: Transfer Cooked Gnocchi to Sage Butter & Toss w/ Hazelnuts; Garnish & Enjoy!
When they’re ready, strain your gnocchi and then immediately add it into the butter pan along with two tablespoons or so of the pasta water. Stir this gently until the pasta is well-coated with the sauce, toss in some crushed hazelnuts to give them a little toast, and then once it’s ready, transfer this to a serving plate.
If you have any more gnocchi to make, prepare more of the butter sauce and boil some more gnocchi, stirring it in the additional sauce until all the gnocchi you want to make is done.
And once you’re ready to serve, garnish with some shredded parmesan and some more crushed hazelnuts and season with some pepper, as desired. And with that, your Creepy Grub Pasta is ready to eat.