Homemade Chocolate Chili Pasta made with unsweetened cacao for depth, and chili for warmth rather than heat, with a classic brown butter sauce.
A Savory Pasta Dough Inspired by Mole, Warm Spice, and Culinary Curiosity
Homemade Chocolate Chili Pasta
Chocolate in pasta might sound mischievous at first blush, but across cultures, cacao has long lived comfortably on the savory side of the table. From the deep, smoky complexity of Mexican mole to ancient cacao preparations spiced with chili and warmth, chocolate has never belonged solely to dessert.
This Homemade Chocolate Chili Pasta is an ode to that savory lineage, earthy, gently spiced, and unexpectedly elegant.
Homemade pasta is often praised for its simplicity, and this dough stays true to that spirit. Flour, eggs, and a whisper of cacao come together with chili to create a pasta that is subtle rather than sweet, rich without heaviness, and deeply aromatic.
The chocolate doesn’t announce itself, it hums quietly beneath the surface, amplifying umami, adding depth, and giving the dough a dusky, warm hue that feels almost ancient.
A Savory Chocolate Dough
This is the kind of pasta meant for slow dinners and curious palates. It pairs beautifully with browned butter and sage, wild mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or even a simple olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano finish. Think less “chocolate pasta” and more savory cacao dough, a canvas for bold, grown-up flavors.
If you’ve ever loved the way chili and chocolate dance together in a mole sauce, this pasta brings that same harmony into a fresh, handmade form. It’s familiar and surprising at once, proof that sometimes the most delicious ideas live just outside our comfort zones.
Why This Chocolate Chili Pasta Works
Savory, spicy, hot, tangy umami Chocolate, is a wonderful approach to a simple pasta meal that otherwise relies on the sauce for its flavor. Here is a closer look at what goes into the warm flavors of this pasta:
- This pasta recipe uses unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder for depth, not sweetness.
- Chili adds warmth and balance rather than heat.
- Inspired by savory chocolate traditions, like mole which is known for its rich depth in flavor.
- A natural fit for handmade pasta recipes and adventurous home cooks.
- Visually striking with a deep, rich color once rolled and cut.
Homemade Pasta
If you have ever made pasta, you would know you can hardly mess it up. Even my grandchildren have had a blast making pasta!
The only trick to homemade pasta is rolling it out thin enough for your personal preference. A marble rolling pin on a hard stone surface works quite well.
If you own a mixer that accommodates attachments and are willing to spend just a little extra for a gadget that will connect to your mixer, the job will go quickly.
However, a stand alone pasta roller that simply attaches to your countertop works easily as well. You will wonder how you’ve lived without it.
How This Pasta Recipe Is Made
Now that you’re on board with making your own pasta, let’s go all out and make a spectacular pasta; Chocolate Chili Pasta! It’s really quite easy. The raw cacao powder and chipotle chili powder gets measured in with the flour.
The eggs do the rest and are the only wet ingredient that brings this rich dough together. Once the dough rests for a little time, it is ready to roll out thin, and choose the shape you want for your pasta. A long spaghetti or fettuccine shape is the quickest and easiest, though there are fancier shapes we can make as well.
Savory Chocolate Pasta For Valentine’s Dinner
I love making this pasta for an ‘at home’ Valentines Dinner because it is so easy, looks gourmet, and tastes decadent and special.
I make the pasta early in the day, let it sit on the counter to drying out, whip up a sauce and in minutes you’ve got a better-than-restaurant gourmet meal at home!
Once you’ve tried pasta made with unsweetened cacao and chilies you are sure to love Chili Chocolate Cupcakes and an even more interesting combination of Chili Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes.
You see… chocolate has another life besides candy!
Chocolate Chili Garganelli Pasta
Now that I’ve got you thinking about an earthy, spicy, chocolate pasta, why not go a step further and make this recipe into the classic Garganelli shaped pasta!
While these beautiful Garganelli shapes take a little more time, they are so worth the extra time for several reasons.
- Garganelli is simply a pasta dough that gets rolled over a board with ridges that imprint the ridges into the pasta.
- Making pasta that has ridges means the sauce you choose will stick to the pasta better.
- My grandkids found it just as easy to roll these shapes as it was to try to hand cut straight strips of pasta.
A Favorite Sage Chestnut Sauce For Pasta
Sauce? Did you really think I was going to put tomato sauce on this gorgeous pasta? Nope! Let’s go with a classic Italian Chestnut and Sage Cream Sauce with White Wine and Pancetta.
Sage has become one of my favorite herbs to grow. The scent and flavor is beautiful and I have even found leaves still alive in the dead of winter. Waiting there for my Valentines Dinner!
It doesn’t matter what part of Italy you think this sauce comes from, chestnuts, sage, pancetta are used all over Italy in a variety of recipes.
When it is the season to buy fresh chestnuts in the market, you will need to roast them, peel them and simply store them in the freezer until ready to use them.
Roasting, peeling and preparing raw chestnuts can be a little work, but so with their freshness, otherwise, chestnuts can be found in gourmet markets, already roasted and peeled in either an airtight pouch or a can, year round.
This sauce comes together in minutes, as does the final cooking of the pasta. Your gourmet dinner will look like you’ve slaved away in the kitchen all day, and yet you will have plenty of time to get all dolled up without breaking a sweat!
Ingredients With Intention
- Flour – At the heart of every great pasta is flour, humble, grounding, and endlessly transformative. In this recipe, flour acts as the canvas, absorbing the darker notes of cacao and chili while providing the structure needed for rolling, cutting, and cooking. Whether you use all-purpose flour or a finely milled Italian “00,” the goal is a dough that feels supple in your hands and cooks into silky strands with a gentle bite.
- Cacao – Unsweetened cacao powder is the soul of this pasta. Unlike cocoa mixes meant for baking, pure cacao brings bitterness, earthiness, and a whisper of richness without a trace of sugar. It deepens the dough’s flavor much like toasted grain or browned butter would, subtle, savory, and grounding. The result is not a “chocolate” pasta, but one with a quiet, lingering depth that makes every bite feel intentional.
- Salt – Salt does more than season, it clarifies. In a dough with bold ingredients like cacao and chili, salt sharpens flavor and brings balance, ensuring the pasta tastes savory, not muddled. It heightens the warmth of the spices and gives the finished noodles a clean, confident finish.
- Chipotle Chili Powder – Chipotle chili powder adds a smoky warmth that feels almost inevitable alongside cacao. Made from smoked, dried jalapeños, chipotle brings complexity rather than fire, echoing the flavors found in traditional mole sauces. Its presence is gentle but unmistakable, weaving smoke and spice into the dough without overwhelming it.
- Ghost Chili (If You Dare) – This is the wildcard. Used sparingly, almost reverently, ghost chili introduces a slow, lingering heat that builds rather than shouts. It’s entirely optional, but for those who love a thrill, it adds an edge that contrasts beautifully with the richness of cacao and eggs. A pinch is more than enough; this pasta should intrigue, not intimidate.
- Eggs – Eggs bind everything together, enriching the dough and giving it that unmistakable handmade pasta luxury. They soften the bitterness of cacao, carry the spice of the chilies, and create a dough that’s elastic, golden, and deeply satisfying. Eggs turn these bold flavors into something cohesive, something comforting.
- Sage & Chestnut Sauce an optional sauce recipe but it wonderfully compliments this pasta.
Equipment Needed For Making Pasta
- Pasta Maker (Optional, but Lovely to Have) – A pasta roller turns dough into silk. While absolutely not required, it makes the process smoother and more meditative, allowing you to roll the chocolate chili dough thin and even with minimal effort. Watching the deep, cocoa-toned sheets emerge is reason enough to linger.
- Marble Rolling Pin (or Regular Rolling Pin) – If you’re rolling by hand, a marble rolling pin brings weight and coolness, both helpful when working with egg-based dough. That said, a regular rolling pin works beautifully too. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s connection. Roll, rest, repeat.
- Knife or Pizza Cutter – A sharp knife or pizza cutter is all you need to transform sheets of dough into ribbons, tagliatelle, or rustic pappardelle. Clean cuts give structure; uneven edges give character. Both are welcome here.
- Measuring Cup and Measuring Spoons – Precision matters when balancing cacao and chili. Measuring ensures the flavors stay harmonious rather than overpowering, especially when working with potent spices.
- Large Pot – Fresh pasta needs room to move. A generous pot of well-salted water allows the noodles to cook evenly and keeps their rich color and texture intact.
- Cooking Spoon – A sturdy spoon helps gently separate the pasta as it slips into the water, preventing sticking and giving you control without aggression.
- Long Fork – Perfect for lifting strands, testing doneness, and transferring pasta directly into sauce. It’s a small tool that makes the process feel graceful.
- Stovetop or Burner – The final act. Fresh pasta cooks quickly, often in just a few minutes, so stay close. This is not a step to rush or walk away from; it’s where all that intention meets heat.
Homemade Chocolate Chili Pasta
Equipment
- Pasta roller
- Pastry cutter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Flour extra for dusting
- 1/4 cup Cacao unprocessed cocoa
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Chipotle chili powder
- pinch Ghost chili optional
- 3 Eggs
Instructions
- Create a mound of flour on your countertop. Add salt, cacao, and chili powder. Make a well in the center of the mound and place the eggs in the well. Slowly begin to swirl the dry ingredients into the wet until it all comes together into a dough. This step can also be done in a food processor.
- At this point you can either continue to work with the dough on the counter, or toss it into a mixer with a dough hook, or food processor to finish the dough making process. Give it a whirl to bring the mixture into a shiny dough ball. Working with your hands works too, it just might take a bit longer.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough out as thin as you can, taking care to flip it over, flour, roll, and repeat. If you have a pasta rolling attachment for your mixer, this makes the job faster.
- You will want the dough between an eighth to a quarter inch thin.
- Once the dough is rolled out thin, fold it envelope style and cut into strips the width you want. Wide for lasagna, thinner for fettuccine or spaghetti. Toss the cut noodles in flour to keep them dry for about an hour. Will keep in airtight container in the fridge for several days.
- When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to boiling point, add 1/2 tsp of salt to the water. Gently drop the noodles into the water, stirring occasionally. Cook about 7-10 minutes or until tender, depending on how thick they are.
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I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.