Chocolate Noodles in 3 Ingredient Nutella Sauce

These chocolate noodles in easy 3 ingredient Nutella sauce are soooo good - everything you love about pasta in a sweet and chocolately format.

These chocolate noodles in Nutella sauce are so good. Pasta with chocolate may be a bit out of the ordinary, but the taste is so familiar.

You feel a bit like you're eating fresh warm crepes with Nutella and fresh strawberries but with a softer and springier texture that only pasta can bring.

My favorite part of this recipe besides how delicious it is, is that it looks soo cute. Garnished with little strawberry hearts, it's a perfect way to surprise a loved one with a special date night or Valentine's day treat.

Whether you're eating it on it's own as part of brunch, or making it for dessert to cap off a special meal, it's a beautiful dish that also has a wow-factor because it's so unexpected.

When I made it for my husband he was already excited just seeing it ("Is that pasta made with chocolate!?") but his ooh and aah after tasting it were really the indicator that this dish is a winner.

If you've never made homemade pasta before no worries, it's really a lot simpler than it seems. This post outlines everything you need to know to make a sort of fettucine style noodle with chocolate pasta dough.

If you want to make a different shape I recommend you check out my post How to Make Pasta Dough: Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide which gives a lot more details on how to make different pasta shapes. It's also helpful for any questions you might run into.

Ingredients

For the chocolate pasta dough

• Flour: This chocolate pasta dough is just made with plain white flour. If you have a specialty flour like tipo 00 or high protein bread flour then those would make for an even better texture. If you want more info on what flour to use, see my post on Choosing the Best Flour for Homemade Pasta.
• Eggs: Eggs add structure to the pasta dough. I don't have a recipe for egg-free chocolate pasta but I do have other egg free doughs in my pasta guide - I haven't tested this but I think you could make an egg-free dough by replacing about 12% of the flour weight with cocoa powder (but your mileage may vary - only try this is you've made egg-free pasta dough before).
• Milk: The milk adds a bit of moisture to the dough which helps the gluten develop and gives it a better texture.
• Cocoa powder: Regular unsweetened cocoa powder is all you need to turn regular pasta dough into chocolate pasta dough.
• Sugar: The noodles need a bit of sugar to counteract the natural bitterness of the cocoa powder. The sugar is just enough to give them a hint of sweetness.
• Cinnamon: The cinnamon is there to enhance the chocolate flavor. You don't really taste straight cinnamon, just a hint.
• Salt: A tiny bit of salt balances and enhances the other flavors.

For the Nutella sauce

The Nutella sauce has a thin liquid consistency until it's finished in the pan with the pasta where it's thickened by the residual starch. As a result, it's really versatile and you can use a lot of different liquids to make it.

• Heavy cream: The base of the sauce is just heavy cream. If you don't have dairy cream you can also use plant-based creamer, for example I really like Oatly cooking cream or you can use coconut cream to also incorporate a coconut flavor which would be really good with the other flavors in this dish. If all you have it milk then that's okay too. The sauce has to be finished in the pan anyway so if you use a thinner milk, just cook it a bit longer to get it to thicken.
• Nutella: The one and only Nutella is key to this sauce but you can use any chocolate hazelnut spread if you have a preference for a different brand.
• White sugar: Since the Nutella is thinned out in liquid, the sauce needs a bit more sugar. If you want to use less sugar then just make the sauce with the cream and Nutella. When you finish the pasta in the pan, you can taste and add more sugar if it's necessary. Alternatively, skip the added sugar and make up for it with a cheeky dollop of more Nutella drizzled all over the pasta before serving.

For garnish

• Fresh strawberries cut into heart shapes: Strawberries cut into hearts are so adorable I can hardly handle it. If the hearts are a bit too literal for you then you can just slice then regularly. Raspberries would also be a very nice addition in terms of flavor and aesthetics.
• Hazelnuts: Roasted hazelnuts have such a beautiful strong hazelnut flavor that goes really nicely with the Nutella sauce. They also add a nice textural element.

Equipment

This recipe doesn't require any special equipment. You can make pasta dough with as little as a rolling pin and sharp knife.

If you want more detailed information about different equipment that's helpful for making different shapes, please see How to Make Pasta Dough: Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide.

Instructions

This recipe has two components: the chocolate pasta dough and the Nutella sauce. The sections below detail how to make both components.

How to make the chocolate noodles

Add the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Note that cocoa powder tends to form little clumps which can create bitter spots in the pasta. To make sure everything is evenly mixed, be sure to sift the cocoa powder if you notice any chunks.

Once the dry ingredients are mixed, make a well in the center and add the sugar, egg and milk.

Use a fork to mix it all up until a shaggy dough forms, and then get in there with your hands. Knead the dough until it comes together into one smooth ball as shown in the photo below. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

Once the dough is a smooth ball, cover it up with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and rest it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

How to shape and cut the chocolate noodles

When ready to shape and cut the pasta, very liberally flour your work surface as shown in the photo below.

The dough is on the stickier side due to the sugar and therefore more prone to sticking. Be sure to move the dough every so often to make sure it hasn't stuck. If you feel any sticking then add another dusting of flour.

Roll the dough out basically as thin as you can get it. Normally with regular pasta dough, you would be able to see your hands through the dough - that's how thin it is.

With cocoa in the dough you won't be able to see through it but at least this example gives you a point of reference.

Once the dough is rolled, then you're going to roll it up like a carpet. Use a very sharp knife and cut the dough into strips.

Be sure to cut straight downward (don't rock the knife at all) so you get straight noodles without any notches in them.

Fettucine noodles like the ones shown here should be cut to 3mm or 0.11 of an inch.

Be sure to keep the noodles well floured so they don't stick together.

If you don't plan to make them right away then I recommend spreading them out to dry on a pasta drying rack if you have one or perforated tray/wire rack.

The pasta can dry out for up to an hour with no issues, but any longer than that and I recommend freezing them.

How to make the 3 ingredient Nutella sauce

To make the Nutella sauce you just need to whisk up the ingredients in a saucepan and gently heat until a luscious, chocolately sauce forms.

After boiling put the chocolate noodles for about 3 minutes, drain and put them in a saucepan or skillet with the Nutella sauce and toss over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens (3-4 minutes).

Serving Suggestion

Plate up the Nutella pasta while still warm, garnished with the strawberries and hazelnuts.

For an extra indulgence, you can drizzle on some more Nutella.

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