Grubs with Ghoulish Goo

Little ghosts and goblins will enjoy dipping tender gnocchi (or “grubs” for the occasion) into a delicious warm and gooey sauce that really looks like ghoulish goo. It’s good stick-to-the-ribs fare that will fuel a chilly Halloween night.

1 package (1 lb/500 g) potato gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
Salt and pepper

Ghoulish Goo:

1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) milk
4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened, cut into small cubes
1 cup (250 mL) shredded Canadian Cheddar or Colby cheese
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) sun-dried tomato pesto or basil pesto 

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package directions until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cooking water, and return gnocchi to pot; stir in butter and season with salt and pepper.

2. Ghoulish Goo: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, for about 2 min or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and Canadian Cheddar cheese, whisking until melted and smooth (return the pan to low heat if necessary to melt cheese). Stir in pesto to taste.

3. If gnocchi seems dry, stir in enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten. Spoon “ghoulish goo” into small bowls and serve with gnocchi and toothpicks or a fork for dipping.

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 to 8 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Cooking Tip: Potato gnocchi are small dumplings that are similar to fresh pasta. Look for potato gnocchi at the supermarket in the deli section with the fresh pasta, in vacuum packs with the dry pasta or in the freezer section.

Prepared pesto is available at most grocery stores either in the deli section with the fresh pasta or on the grocery shelf with other prepared pasta sauces in jars.