See Also: Main Dishes · Pasta · Television Show Recipes
Pasta ala Chocolate & Wine Sauce
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com.
for the sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 smoked chicken apple sausages
1 cup red wine or apple cider
1 bay leaf
11/2 - 2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder dissolved in 1-2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried New Mexican red chili
1-2 sprigs fresh marjoram, snipped
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme, snipped
1 teaspon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white peppercorns
for the pasta:
1 pound pasta such as penne, farfalle, gemelli etc
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
snipped fresh parsley for garnish
Parmigiano-Reggiano to grate over the pasta
Heat oil in saute pan, add onion and garlic. Cook several minutes to soften, and then add the diced or chunked apple sausages. Cook to brown sausages just slightly. Add wine or cider, bay leaf, tomatoes and any juices, sun dried tomatoes, and cocoa powder mixture. Simmer gently while stirring for several minutes to reduce the liquids and to blend flavors. Stir in olives and remaining seasonings and cook several minutes. Correct seasonings. Set aside.
Using a pasta cooker, heat water to a full rapid boil, add the oil and salt and bring back to a boil. Set in the pasta insert and add pasta. Stir. Bring to a boil, and then begin timing, using minutes stated on the package. When pasta is done, lift it out of the pasta cooker, let it drain slightly and dump it into the sauce in a big beautiful bowl. Garnish with parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Recipe created 2003-04-13.
