These strands of chocolate awesomeness are so decadent, that had Marie Antoinette been Italian, she probably would have said “Let them eat chocolate noodles!” (and then lived happily ever).

Make a chocoholic’s dream come true by creating one of the most epic chocolate dishes of all time with this homemade chocolate pasta recipe. Delicate yet bursting with cocoa flavor, this pasta would make an amazing dessert covered in a sweet sauce like caramel, raspberry or chocolate syrup. Alternatively, one could even serve this with a savory sauce for a chocolate mole themed dish. For a special occasion like Valentine’s Day, this would be perfect for a romantic dinner!

Don’t have a pasta machine or pasta drier? Have no fear. Knowing that the average kitchen may not be equipped with either, I’ve written my recipe so you can make it by hand…AND I’ve got a creative way to hang it dry with an everyday appliance (spoiler alert: it involves the oven rack!). While one may think this could be a challenge to make, it really isn’t. The chocolate pasta dough is made with all of six simple ingredients, and is easy to roll and cut into noodles. Once made, it can be cooked from fresh right away, or hung dry to make dried pasta.

Chocoholic Chocolate Pasta

Yield: 4 servings

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes for fresh pasta, or 25 hours for dried pasta

2 c. all purpose flour, sifted
1/3 c. cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (but not hot)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1) In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt together.
2) In the center of the bowl, push aside all of the dry ingredients to make a well, then add the eggs, melted (but cooled) butter and vanilla.
3) With a fork, beat the eggs and wet ingredients together, while slowly incorporating bits of the surrounding dry ingredients as you work. Continue to mix until a dough forms and the fork becomes difficult to move. Once a ball of dough has formed, use your hands to knead the mixture until thoroughly combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
4) On a flat surface, use a rolling pin to roll the ball of dough into as flat of a shape as possible, measuring as close to 1 foot (30 cm) by 1 foot (3o cm). Trim sides to make a rectangular shape.*
5) With a ruler, measure and cut out noodles that are approximately 1/4 inches (0.25 cm) wide by 1 feet (30 cm) long.*
6 A) If making fresh pasta, gently form loose coils of noodles in groups of 5-10. Store bundles in a plastic bag and refrigerate. When ready to enjoy, place in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
6 B) If making dried pasta, place an oven rack on the top shelf and extend as far out of the oven as possible. Hang each strand of pasta on the rack and allow to dry undisturbed for 24 hours. When ready to enjoy, place in boiling water for 7-9 minutes.

*Chef’s Tip: The pasta dough is prone to drying up very easily, so when rolling and forming the noodles, work as quickly as possible. If you live in a dry environment, you may want to consider working in half batches of dough at a time (keeping the other half covered).

A quick reference guide: How to Make Pasta by Hand

Gifting Idea:

This chocolate pasta could be gifted either fresh or dried in a cellophane bag, secured with a ribbon and gift tag containing the cooking instructions  (for fresh pasta, boil for 2-3 minutes, and for dried, boil for 7-9 minutes). Keep refrigerated, and when ready to enjoy, serve the pasta warm topped with a favorite sauce, such as caramel, raspberry or chocolate syrup.

Whether fresh or dried, this pasta is guaranteed to make an impressive homemade food gift! In the photo above, this pasta was made completely by hand.