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SAVORY CHOCOLATE PASTA WITH BUCHERONDIN, HAZELNUTS, AND CHERRIES

Course Lunch

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa nibs
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup hazelnuts
  • 12 ounces chocolate pasta (preferably linguini, but use what you can find)
  • 5 ounces Bucherondin, roughly broken apart
  • 1 cup pitted cherries (Bing, Brooks, or Rainier are all lovely varieties)
  • 2 cups whole arugula leaves, washed and dried

Instructions
 

  • Place the hazelnut oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, ground mustard, cocoa nibs, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine (a bowl and whisk will do this job just fine, too). Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skins darken and blister and the nuts are hauntingly fragrant. Wrap the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel and leave them to steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the dish towel to scrub the skins off. Don’t worry if some of the skin stays; we just want the bulk of it removed. Roughly chop the nuts and set aside.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente (you can do this while the hazelnuts are toasting). Drain the pasta through a colander and set aside.
  • Plate the hot pasta in bowls. Scatter the Bucherondin over the top of the pasta, followed by the cherries and hazelnuts. Top each bowl with a handful of arugula, dress with the vinaigrette, and serve.