French Onion Pasta Recipe That Is Comfort Food At Its Best

French onion pasta is a creamy one pot-pasta that is made with a combination of caramelized onion and your favorite pasta. French onion pasta recipe is for you, if you are looking for a different version of pasta. I usually make this pasta for my husband and kids on weekends, and they love it. This pasta is so easy to make with great taste and creamy texture like pastina recipe. 

French onion soup served as an inspiration for this recipe. So, if you want the soup in a creamy pasta version then look at the details of this recipe below.

Why will you Love this French Onion Pasta Recipe?

• Comfort food: This pasta is a comfort food with comforting flavors. The caramelized onion, thyme, cheese, and wine combined with your favorite pasta.
• Versatile options to make: This caramelized onion pasta allows you to use pasta according to your liking like casarecce, Rigatoni, Penne, Farfalle, Orecchiette, Fettuccine, Ziti, and others.
• One-pot magic: It is a one-pot pasta, so you don’t need to worry about the cleanup. All the bursting flavors you will get 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 recipe completely vegan, then use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Instead of butter, use olive oil. Use vegan parmesan cheese. Follow the steps as mentioned in the recipe.

Make the French Pasta Gluten-Free

If you have personal dietary preferences, try making caramelized onion pasta recipe Gluten-free version. Use gluten-free pasta like rice pasta, corn pasta, quinoa pasta, or chickpea pasta, and make it according to package instructions. Use cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour. Follow the remaining steps as mentioned in the recipe.

Ingredients for Caramelized Onion Pasta

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• Yellow Onion: For this recipe, I recommend using yellow onions that are sliced. You can also use red onion, but it will make the pasta color dark.
• Garlic: Garlic combined with the onion creates a beautiful aroma. You better use minced garlic for a smooth taste.
• Beef Broth: Beef broth will add a deep flavor to pasta but if you are vegan, you can use vegetable broth.
• Your Favorite Pasta: Use your favorite pasta. I am using casarecce pasta. You can use Orecchiette or Rigatoni. 
• White Wine: I am using white wine, but you can also use sherry as it is more viscous than white wine. I recommend using white wine for a light smooth taste. If you don’t want to use wine, then you can substitute it with water.
• Butter and Olive Oil: Butter and olive oil are used to caramelize the onion and for creamy onion sauce preparation.
• All-purpose flour: It is used for thickening the onion sauce and making it caramelized.
• Grated Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese: For making the pasta creamier. I like to add cheese because pasta without cheese is nothing!
• Thyme: Thyme adds a beautiful aroma to pasta.
• Chopped parsley: Chopped parsley is used for garnishing the French onion pasta recipe to make its presentation more attractive.

How to make French Onion Pasta

1. Prepare the Onions and Garlic:

Slice your yellow onion a bit larger than normal. 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 in your onions. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. The garlic can be added immediately, but I generally wait a few minutes before adding them. Since we don’t want the garlic or onions to sear, make sure the burner is on low or medium. We want to slowly cook them, so they reduce in size and expand in flavor.

3. Adding Flour for Thickening the Sauce:

After letting the onions and garlic cook for about 10-12 minutes, add in your 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 white wine to your caramelized onion. Mix and stir continuously until the sauce thickens.

6. Assembling Pasta:

Add the boiled pasta and ½ cup of pasta water that we separate into the prepared sauce and combine it well.

7. Cheese Topping:

Add in your 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 extraordinary presentation.

Expert Tips

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

Storage Options 

• Refrigeration: You can refrigerate this pasta. Let the pasta cool. Allow it to come to room temperature and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend you freeze this pasta.
• Freezing: If you are willing to freeze this creamy French pasta then freeze it in a freezer-safe container and label the date on the container. From this method, you can freeze the pasta for 1 -2 months.
• Reheating: Allow the pasta to come to normal temperature for 5 minutes and then splash water or 1 tbsp butter in it to prevent the pasta from drying out. Microwave the pasta and enjoy.

FAQ’s

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