French Onion Pasta

Why We Love This Recipe

• A more approachable take on a classic: Don't get me wrong, I love a bowl of French onion soup, but to be honest, it's a bit of a pain to make. This French onion pasta takes those same flavors and turns them into a more approachable weeknight meal that tastes like something you'd get at a fancy restaurant! The caramelizing part does take a bit of time, but it's mostly hands off and definitely worth it.
• Caramelized onions: Need I say more? If you love caramelized onions, this is the recipe for you. (And also this caramelized onion dip. I can't stop eating it.)
• Allergy adaptations: This French onion pasta is vegetarian, and can easily be made fully vegan and/or gluten free with a few simple swaps (noted in the "ingredient notes" section below).
• Tastes even better the next day: Which also means it's meal prep friendly! We can vouch for it – we've had leftovers for lunch more than once this week alone.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this French Onion Pasta:

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta: We used gemelli pasta, which is a fun, twisted tube shape that holds sauce nicely. Other good options include rotini, farfalle, fusilli, cavatappi, rigatoni and penne. If you're gluten free, feel free to use your favorite non-gluten option.
• Onions: Sweet yellow onions are perfect for caramelizing. You can also use Spanish onions, vidalia onions, walla walla onions, or even white onions in a pinch.
• Cheese: We use a mix of shredded mozzarella (for creaminess) and grated parmesan (for a sharper flavor). You can easily sub with vegan alternatives if needed – a few brands we love include Follow Your Heart and Violife.
  • To stay traditional to French onion soup, sub mozzarella with shredded gruyère.
• Butter: Feel free to sub with a vegan alternative if needed. A few brands we love include Miyoko's and Country Crock.
• Soy sauce: While this isn't a traditional ingredient, since we aren't using beef broth, we rely on the soy sauce to add some needed richness and umami. Vegetable broth alone tends to be lacking a bit in that department, so don't suggest skipping the soy sauce. Note: if you're gluten free, feel free to substitute with tamari!
• White wine: Opt for a dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
• Sherry: Technically optional (you can also sub with more white wine), but it adds a ton of flavor to this pasta. Opt for a dry sherry in this recipe.
• Sugar: A small pinch helps the caramelization process for the onions. Any sugar will work in this recipe.
• Herbs: Fresh really is best in this recipe. If you're in a pinch and don't have any fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 ½ teaspoon dried parsley.
• Vegetable broth: We used vegetable broth to keep this French onion pasta vegetarian. If you prefer, you can use beef broth, chicken broth, or even a mix of the two.

Instructions

(1) Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add onions.

(2) Sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. 

(3) Stir in the soy sauce, sugar and salt and continue cooking, stirring often, for another 15-20 minutes, until the onions are deep golden brown and very soft. If the onions start to burn, reduce heat. 

While the onions are caramelizing, make the breadcrumb topping. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, oil, salt and pepper to the pan and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and set aside. 

(4) Once the onions are caramelized, stir in the garlic, thyme, parsley and pepper and continue cooking for 1 minute. 

Pour in the sherry and white wine to deglaze the pan, and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

(5 and 6) Add in the pasta (uncooked), broth, and 1 ½ cups of water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta soaks up too much liquid, add in another ½ cup water. 

(7) Stir in the cheese and remove from heat. 

(8) Top with toasted breadcrumbs and grated parmesan and serve warm.

Tips and FAQs

• How to slice onions for caramelizing: First, peel the onion and slice off the root end. Slice the onion in half (from root to tip). Place the flat side down on a cutting board. Slice into thin strips (between ⅛-1/4 inch thick). It's important that the onions are evenly sliced, otherwise they will cook at different rates and some may burn or undercook.
• At first, it will look like way too many onions, but we promise, they cook down a ton. By the time the onions are caramelized, they take up about ¼ of the original space in the pot!
• Why cook the pasta straight in the pot? For one, fewer dishes to clean up! But also, cooking the pasta straight in with the caramelized onions adds a ton of flavor to the pasta and creates its own sauce. Trust us, it's absolutely delicious!
• Top tips for perfect caramelized onions:
  • Low and slow: Although you may be tempted to crank up the heat to get your onions caramelized faster, don't do it. Caramelized onions are the result of a long, slow cooking process over low heat, and high heat just won't get you the same results!
  • Stir often: To prevent burning (even over low heat), it's important to give the onions a good stir every few minutes. This also helps ensure that the onions cook evenly.
  • Evenly sized slices: As mentioned above, make sure the onions are sliced to a similar thickness. You can use a mandolin for perfect precision (and ease!).
  • A pinch of sugar: Just a small pinch of sugar goes a long way in helping the onions caramelize to that deep golden brown color. It also helps cancel out any bitterness.
• Storage: Store French onion pasta leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. If needed, stir in more vegetable broth or water to loosen up the pasta.

More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy

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