Who would have thought to combine chocolate and pasta? Whoever it was, we are definitely indebted as this is one revolutionary dish.
Yes, chocolate and pasta are a thing. It's a delectable, wonderful, and almost too-good-to-be-true kind of food that is absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day. Don't knock it till you try it! The flavors of cocoa perfectly accentuate the earthy flavors of mushroom and the nutty fragrance of hazelnut. It actually is not a very sweet dish, but an intensely flavorful one that is bound to impress your loved one this Valentine's Day.
Chocolate Pasta with Goat Cheese & Mushroom Hazelnut Sauce
PrepTime: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the pasta dough:
1 3/4 cups AP flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
12 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs, large
For the sauce:
2 tbsp butter, salted
1/2 pound mixed mushrooms
salt & pepper to season
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp goat cheese
1 tbsp thyme, minced
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted & chopped
Parmesan to grate on top
DIRECTIONS
For the pasta:
1. Whisk flour, coca powder, and salt. Make a "well" in the middle of the dry ingredients and add eggs and olive oil. Gently stir eggs & oil with a fork and turn dry ingredients into wet.
2. Place on a floured surface and knead with your hands until the dough comes together. If it's too dry, add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is elastic. This will take about 5 minutes. Important: dough should not be sticky. Place in a large bowl, cover and rest in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. After resting, roll out and cut it into thing strips by hand or with a machine. Transfer pasta into a baking sheet and dust is lightly with cocoa powder to keep it from sticking. To cook, ring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
For the sauce:
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden on the edges.
2. Add the cream, goat cheese, thyme, and reserved pasta cooking water. Cook while stirring until the sauce thickens slightly.
3. Add pasta, gently toss and top with hazelnuts and parmesan.
***This recipe is owned and taught in a cooking class by the wonderful Sarah Nicholas. You can watch her step-by-step video on her cooking class page by clicking here.