Looking for a fun themed Halloween recipe to enjoy this week? We're celebrating a milestone 15th anniversary for Jennifer Kent's contemporary horror classic The Badabook, so we figured it would be a good opportunity to switch up the Halloween recipe playbook. (It's also the perfect time to revisit The Babadook.) The story centers around Amelia, a single mother struggling with personal hardships and grief, whose life becomes intertwined with a sinister children's pop-up book.
A scene from the film shows Amelia harvesting earthworms from her garden to feed the Babadook, which inspired me to create a unique themed dish — Babadook Dirt and Worms Bucatini. I've transformed classic bucatini noodles (that's a fancy way of saying hollow spaghetti) into a creepy-crawly treat, tossing them in a homemade olive tapenade and garnishing them with parsley, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan to mimic the look of freshly dug earth — deliciously spooky and way tastier than actual dirt and worms! Serve with freshly baked bread and a green salad for a complete meal.
Can't find bucatini? No problem — simply substitute it with regular spaghetti, udon noodles, or your favorite pasta. You can also shortcut this recipe using store-bought tapenade, but why not go the extra mile with a homemade version to truly impress? Plus, the leftovers are great to serve as an appetizer on crackers!
BABADOOK Dirt and Worms Bucatini
Ingredients
Black Olive Tapenade
Makes approximately 1 Cup
- One 6-oz can of pitted black olives, drained (170g)
- One clove garlic
- 1 Tbsp capers, drained (7.5g)
- 1 tsp lemon juice (4.8g)
- 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (3.8g)
- ⅛ Cup olive oil (28g)
Bucatini
Makes 3-4 servings
- 8-oz pack of dry bucatini noodles
- Salt
- 8 Cups water (64 oz)
- Gel food coloring in rose, orange, and violet
Other Ingredients
- Reserved pasta water
- ½ Cup Seasoned breadcrumbs (30g)
- Olive oil
- Grated Parmesan
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Crushed red pepper, optional
WHAT TO DO:
For the Black Olive Tapenade:
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
For the Breadcrumbs:
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, and toast until crispy and browned. Set aside.
For the Bucatini:
Cook the bucatini for approximately 9 minutes in salted, boiling water that has been colored with rose, orange, and violet gel food coloring. Drain the bucatini, reserving one Cup of the pasta water.
Return the pasta to the pan. Toss with ½ Cup tapenade, adding a splash of reserved pasta water to help evenly coat the pasta with the tapenade. Transfer to a serving dish and top with toasted seasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, and crushed red pepper (optional). Serve with additional tapenade on the side, if desired.
What's for Dessert? A Devilishly Good Treat from ‘Rosemary's Baby‘
To fully embrace the dark holiday, try serving my Minnie Castevet's Chocolate Mousse recipe from Rosemary's Baby for dessert! This devilishly good treat is a rich, velvety chocolate mousse that will satisfy any sweet tooth. Visit TheHomicidalHomemaker.com for the full recipe.
Join Our Ghastly Gastronomic Community
Did you dig this deliciously dark Babadook-inspired dish from The Homicidal Homemaker? Snap a photo, tag #homicidalhomemaker and #fangoria on Instagram, and share what you've conjured up in your kitchen. We'd love to see your unique ideas and horror-inspired culinary creations!
