French Onion Pasta Recipe That Is Comfort Food At Its Best

French onion pasta recipe is a creamy one pot pasta dishes made with caramelized onion and your favorite pasta. If you are looking for a different version of pasta, then this French onion pasta recipe is for you! I usually make this pasta for my husband and kids on weekends; they love it. It is so easy to make and has a great taste and creamy texture. 

French onion soup inspired this recipe. If you want the soup in a creamy pasta version, look at the details of this recipe below.

Why will you Love this One Pot French Onion Pasta?

• Comfort food: This pasta is comfort food with comforting flavors. It combines caramelized onion, thyme, cheese, and wine with your favorite pasta.
• Versatile options: This recipe allows you to use pasta according to your liking, such as casarecce, Rigatoni, Penne, Farfalle, Orecchiette, Fettuccine, Ziti, and others.
• One-pot charm: It is a one pot pasta meals, so you don’t need to worry about cleanup. You will get all the bursting flavors in a single pot. The one-pot pasta dinner presentation is beautiful and will make you hungry!
• Perfect for friends’ parties: This pasta recipe is best for parties, meetups, Christmas parties, and other parties. This pasta is also best for a date night dinner as it is impressive yet simple!

Try this Recipe in a Vegan Version

If you want to make this viral ditalini pasta recipe completely vegan, use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Instead of butter, use olive oil. Use vegan parmesan cheese. Follow the further steps from the recipe.

How to make the French Onion Pasta Gluten-free

If you have personal dietary preferences, try making this recipe a Gluten-free version. Use gluten-free pasta like rice, corn, quinoa, or chickpea, and make it according to package instructions. Use cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.

Things you will need for French Onion pasta Recipe

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• Yellow Onion: I recommend using sliced yellow onions for this recipe. You can also use red onion, but it will darken the pasta.
• Garlic: Combining garlic with onion creates a beautiful aroma. Use minced garlic for a smooth taste.
• Beef Broth: Beef broth adds a deep flavor to pasta, but you can use vegetable broth if you are vegan.
• Your Favorite Pasta: Use your favorite pasta. I am using casarecce pasta. You can use Orecchiette or Rigatoni. 
• Water: I recommend using water for a light, smooth taste.
• Butter and Olive Oil: Butter and olive oil caramelize onions and prepare creamy onion sauce.
• All-purpose flour: It thickens the onion sauce and makes it caramelized.
• Grated Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese: I like to add cheese to make the pasta creamier because pasta without cheese is nothing!
• Thyme: Thyme adds a beautiful aroma to pasta.
• Chopped parsley: It is used to garnish the French onion pasta to make its presentation more attractive. 

How to make French Onion Pasta

1.Prepare the Onions and Garlic

Slice your yellow onion slightly more prominent than usual. I like to slice them a bit large because I want them to caramelize so they don’t burn. Mince your garlic as well.

2.Caramelize the Onions and Garlic

 Add olive oil and butter to the pan. Once melted, add your onions. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. The garlic can be added immediately, but I generally wait a few minutes before adding it. Since we don’t want the garlic or onions to sear, ensure the burner is low or medium. We want to simmer them so they reduce in size and expand in flavor.

3.Adding flour to Thicken the sauce

 After letting the onions and garlic cook for about 10-12 minutes, add the flour and mix well. Let that cook until the flour is not visible anymore (about 5 minutes). The flour will add body and texture to the sauce.

4.Boil the Pasta

While the onion and garlic are cooking, boil your pasta and save ½ cup of boiled salted pasta water for further use.

5.Create the Sauce

Add beef broth and water to your caramelized onion. Mix and stir continuously until the sauce thickens.

6.Assembling Pasta

 Add the boiled pasta and some of the pasta water that we separate into the prepared sauce and combine it well.

7.Cheese Topping

 Add freshly grated gruyere and parmesan cheese and mix well until the cheese has completely melted.

8.Garnish and Serve

Garnish with extra parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for an extraordinary presentation.

Expert Tips

• Cut the onion a bit larger than usual because we must caramelize it and stir it continuously because we don’t want the onions to burn.
• Choose quality ingredients for this pasta. Choose fresh parmesan and gruyere because the cheese melts in the pasta and helps make the creamy French onion pasta.
• The correct shape of pasta is a must. Choose the shape that holds the maximum flavors. I am using Casarecce pasta. The other best choices are Rigatoni, Penne, and Orecchiette.
• Caramelized onion is a crucial step in this recipe. Try to make the caramelized onion on low or medium heat. I don’t recommend cooking it on high heat because it will burn your onions and turn the pasta dark brown.
• To achieve the right sauce consistency, add the pasta or regular water to the sauce and then cook the pasta.
• You can also add unboiled pasta, but to do this, you must add the right amount of water and broth and note the cooking time. Cooking time may vary from pasta to pasta.

Storage options

• Refrigeration: You can refrigerate this pasta. Let it cool, then allow it to come to room temperature. Put it in an airtight vessel for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this pasta.
• Freezing: If you want to freeze it, put it in a freezer-safe container and label the container with the date. This method freezes the pasta for 1 -2 months.
• Reheating: Let the pasta reach an average temperature for 5 minutes, then splash water or 1 tbsp butter into it to prevent drying. Microwave the pasta and enjoy.

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