• Chocolate Fettuccini
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder, plus a little extra for dusting
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • About ½ cup water, plus extra as needed
  • Brown Butter Sauce
  • 8 ounces bacon, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • Special equipment needed: pasta rolling machine or pasta rolling attachment for a stand mixer
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Italian blend cheese like Asiago, Romano and Parmesan

I know there are skeptics out there. I was one.

…a savory chocolate fettuccini?

Yup!

Before you begin to wonder about this savory chocolate creation, let me assure you —

You will NOT be disappointed.

 

The Perfect Valentine’s Dinner

 

This chocolate recipe, coated in a browned butter sauce with crispy bacon and sweet peas, is simply beautiful and delicious! It’s the perfect recipe for Valentine’s Day.

My hubby and I love to cook together. One of our favorite things to do together is to make homemade pasta. This recipe would be such a wonderful surprise for your significant other or a fabulous thing to do together.

I first recently saw Giada DeLaurentis make homemade chocolate fettuccini and just HAD TO try making it myself. This recipe is adapted to our family’s taste. I used bacon in place of pancetta and instead of topping my chocolate fettuccini with marscapone cheese like Giada had I made a whipped cream with three Italian cheeses folded in for the top.

 

How much is that chocolate fettuccini?

Already-made chocolate fettuccini is very expensive. It can also be difficult to find. All you need are basic ingredients already found in your pantry. Once you see how easy and fun it is to make you and your significant other will pass on the store-bought kind.

 

Chocolate Pasta Dough
Place the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, add your eggs, gradually add the oil and then water until the mixture forms a dough (the dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers). If necessary, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry. (Remember: you can always add, but you can’t take away).
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface (use extra cocoa powder). Gather the dough into a ball and knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover it well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Cut the dough into six pieces

 

 

and press or roll flat.

 

 

Dusting the pasta dough with a little unsweetened cocoa powder prevents it from sticking to your machine. Run each piece of pasta dough several times through a pasta-rolling machine adjusting the setting each time until the pasta is about 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick.

 

 

Cut the pasta into fettuccini noodles.

 

 

Isn’t that beautiful?

 

Chocolate Fettuccini and a Brown Butter Sauce

 

1. Begin by making your whipped topping:

 

Pour 1/2 cup of heavy cream into a small bowl. Beat until lightly whipped and fold in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and set aside in the refrigerator.

 

 

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Place large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on a towel-lined plate. Add the butter and stir over medium heat until melted. Reduce the heat and simmer until frothy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the sage leaves and cook until they are browned and toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove the fried sage and garlic to a paper towel-lined plate.

 

Everything I need to make my brown butter sauce. Keep the pan over low heat and stir in the peas and cook them until they are warmed through, about 2 minutes.

 

 

 

3. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender but firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes.

 

Homemade chocolate fettuccini!

 

4. Drain the pasta. Add the pasta and crispy bacon to the skillet and gently toss to coat with the browned butter and peas. To serve, add a dollop of your whipped Parmesan cream.

 

5.  Garnish: Using a vegetable peeler, carefully run the peeler over the dark chocolate. Sprinkle over the pasta along with a few fried sage leaves.

 

Wishing you all a very, Happy Valentine’s Day filled with wonderful memories, tasty, food. lots of love and tons of affection!

xo Elise

 

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, this not-so-little cutie pie arrived at my door today! It’s an early gift from my hubby!

 

Here’s a fun TV segment with my friend Cindy Farmer over at Fox 8! We got caught up in the moment. We thought we were Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost! Instead of working with clay we were working with pasta dough.

http://myfox8.com/2014/02/11/chef-shares-recipe-ideas-for-valentines-day-dinner/