Wine, Chocolate and Pasta. Is there anything better?

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup) (I used turkey bacon)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs (I used boneless ribs)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (I used fettuccine)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

I thought this was pretty good! When I was making this and taste testing, I thought it tasted like beef stew. A good beef stew, but beef stew nonetheless. I wasn't doing cartwheels or anything. But let me tell you. The chocolate? OMG. Soooooooo good. It gave it the most interesting flavor that I just couldn't get enough of. I keep scooping more and more spoonfuls of chocolate shavings on there. If I had a blindfold on, I don't know if I would have been able to figure out the flavor. I didn't even need the meat, just the beef broth/red wine sauce, the pasta and the chocolate. Or just a nice hot plate of beef stew with chocolate shavings. I actually do use red wine in my beef stew so I bet the chocolate would be unbelievable on it!!