See Also: Cacao Pasta with Beef Ragu(recipes)
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cacao(dictionary)

Cacao Pasta with Beef Ragu (recipes)


Serves 4





Pasta:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 extra large eggs

4 tablespoons unsweetened Scharffen Berger cocoa powder



Sauce:

1 red onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, finely diced

4 ounces duck proscuitto (or pancetta), finely diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1-2 cups beef stock

1 cup red wine

1 cup of drained chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 1/2 ounces 62% Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper to taste



Pasta:

1. Sift together cocoa and flour.

2. Mix together the eggs.

3. Put the flour cocoa mixture in a stand mixer.

4. Slowly add the eggs until the dough starts to form.

5. Form 3 small balls of dough and wrap each ball in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

6. In a pasta machine, roll the dough to a tagliatelle thickness and cut into thin strips.



Sauce:

1. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.

2. Add ground beef and brown the meat.

3. Add the chopped red onions, celery, and carrot and cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat.

4. Add garlic and proscuitto and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Add wine and simmer until wine evaporates.

7. Add beef stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

8. In a bowl, combine vinegar, chocolate, pine nuts and raisins. After 30 minutes, add this mixture to the beef ragu.

9. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir well. Taste for salt and pepper.



To Serve:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta and toss with the warm beef ragu sauce.