Fettuccine di Cioccolato Chocolate Noodles

Serves 4

250g fresh chocolate pasta or 200g dried cocoa fettuccine
Salt
Icing sugar, for sprinkling

SAUCE
50g unsalted butter
10g cardamon pods, use only the little seeds
30g pine kernels, toasted
30g shelled hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
40g dried breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Strega or other Italian liqueur

SERVING SUGGESTION
A glass of Moscato sweet wine would accompany the dish well.

This is one for the die-hard pasta lover! You can make chocolate pasta from scratch but fortunately for those short of time it can also be bought dried from good delicatessens. This manufactured pasta is usually combined with game dishes and game sauces, but works very well with a sweet sauce here too.

Roll out the pasta dough, by hand or machine, to a longish sheet of about 3mm thick. Roll and cut into strips.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the cardamom seeds, pine kernels and hazelnuts and fry a little. Add the sugar and the breadcrumbs and fry gently until they brown. Add the liqueur.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes (6-7 for dried) or until al dente. Drain well. Dress and flavour the pasta with the sweet mixture and sprinkle with icing sugar.

This recipe is from Antonio Carluccio’s Pasta