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Home » Recipes » Pasta

French Onion Pasta

Published: Feb 17, 2023 by Lexi

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Four small cast iron cocottes filled with french onion pasta and topped with parmesan cheese.

This French Onion Pasta is a delicious twist on the classic soup, with rich caramelized onions, tender pasta, cheese and a crispy breadcrumb topping. This recipe is an absolute must try if you love caramelized onions, and we've included substitutions to make it allergy friendly!

Overhead view of french onion pasta in large skillet with serving spoon.
French onion soup in pasta form - what's not to love?
Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

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.
Close up view of french onion pasta in a large pot on serving spoon.
Flavorful caramelized onions in every bite.

Ingredients

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

Overhead view of ingredients for french onion pasta in small prep bowls, including pasta, cheese, onions, etc.
White wine, sherry and fresh herbs are the secret ingredients that take this pasta up a notch.

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. 

On the left: raw onions in a pan. on the right: sautéed onions in a pan.
The most important step to caramelizing onions: patience!

(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. 

Caramelized onions in a large pan before and after adding in minced garlic.
The onions should be deep golden brown and super soft.

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. 

On the left: caramelized onions, pasta and broth in a pan. on the right: cooked pasta in pan.
Cooking the pasta straight in the pan allows it to soak up all of that caramelized onion flavor.

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

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

Finished french onion pasta in a large skillet before and after garnishing with parmesan cheese.
Cheese + breadcrumbs are the perfect simple topping as a nod to the classic soup.

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.
Four small cast iron cocottes filled with french onion pasta and topped with parmesan cheese.
These little cocottes are the cutest way to serve our french onion pasta (but totally optional!)

More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy

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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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Overhead view of french onion pasta in large skillet with serving spoon.

French Onion Pasta


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This French Onion Pasta is a delicious twist on the classic soup, with rich caramelized onions, tender pasta, cheese and a crispy breadcrumb topping. This recipe is an absolute must try if you love caramelized onions, and we've included substitutions to make it allergy friendly!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Pasta:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter (or vegan butter)
  • 3 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup dry sherry
  • 1 pound pasta of choice (gemelli, farfalle, rotini)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 ½-2 cups water
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or vegan alternative)

Breadcrumb Topping:

  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan (or vegan alternative)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add onions. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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. 
  5. 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. 
  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.

Notes

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.

Storage: Store 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.

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. 

To stay traditional to French onion soup, sub mozzarella with shredded gruyère. 

Sherry: If you don't have any, sub with more white wine.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: French

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 478
  • Sugar: 8.6 g
  • Sodium: 1013 mg
  • Fat: 12.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 72.5 g
  • Fiber: 4.2 g
  • Protein: 16 g

Keywords: French onion pasta

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Lee K

    March 05, 2023 at 7:18 am

    When looking at the photo of all the ingredients, I almost gave up. But then I read the instructions and the tips; it’s not intimidating at all! I’ve tried making caramelized onions once before, but I know, with your very clear, detailed instructions, they’ll come out fine. Definitely going to make this!

    Reply
    • Allison Mackey

      March 07, 2023 at 5:55 pm

      That's so kind! They might seem intimidating at first but our caramelized onions turn out great every time (especially in this pasta dish). Let us know what you think when you make it!

      Reply
  2. Sheryl

    February 26, 2023 at 11:04 pm

    Delicious! I skipped the mozz cheese and breadcrumbs but added 1/2 cup heavy cream and topped with burrata. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Allison Mackey

      March 07, 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Wow that sounds delicious too! Definitely need to try adding burrata next time. Glad you enjoyed:)

      Reply
  3. Irena

    February 24, 2023 at 8:48 am

    So delicious! Perfect for a winter evening.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Allison Mackey

      March 07, 2023 at 5:58 pm

      It's such a warm & comforting dish (and it's extremely tasty)!

      Reply

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