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French Onion Pasta
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French Onion Pasta

Get all the flavors you love from French onion soup in a delicious, creamy one-pot pasta! French onion pasta is easy enough to make for a family dinner but special enough to serve for date night.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Dinner

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter salted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 onions peeled, halved, and sliced ⅛-inch thick, large; white or yellow
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon thyme fresh leaves
  • ¼ cup dry Marsala or marsala cooking wine
  • 1 quart beef stock
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon beef base reduced sodium preferred
  • 1 pound short pasta such as farfalle, rigatoni, orecchiette, etc, uncooked
  • 1 cup gruyere cheese grated
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • ⅓ cup cream
  • salt additional, to taste
  • black pepper additional, to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions along with a big pinch of salt; stir and let cook until the onions are translucent. Once translucent, continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This whole process will take around 45-50 minutes, so be patient. If the onions start to stick, you can add a splash of water to the pot, stirring to loosen them.
  2. Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and thyme. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the marsala cooking wine and stir, cooking for 1 additional minute.
  3. Add the stock, water, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and beef base to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and stir to combine. Reduce the heat back to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the pasta is cooked through and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses until melted. Add the cream and stir until well combined. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper as desired.
  5. Allow the pasta to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to tighten up before serving. If desired, top with additional cheese and garnish with more fresh thyme.

Notes

  • Onions take a while to caramelize – there's not a lot you can do to speed things along. But if you want to make this recipe on a weeknight, you can prep the onions ahead of time and cut down on the time it takes to make the pasta itself!
  • Caramelize the onions as written in the recipe. Add the onion and thyme, then deglaze with the wine. 
  • Move the onions to a bowl and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for 2-3 months.
  • When you're ready to make the pasta, add the onions to the pot with the stock, water, and seasonings, bring to a boil, and continue with the recipe as written.