Italian Braised Onion Sauce (Il Friggione) with pasta

Name: Italian Braised Onion Sauce (Il Friggione) with pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 2.5 kg White onions; 200 g peeled tomatoes; 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; ground black pepper; 400 g garganelli pasta

User Reviews

5.0

117 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Resting time minimum
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Servings
4
Calories
695 kcal
Course
Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Italian Braised Onion Sauce (Il Friggione) with pasta

Daisy Meyer

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This rich and tasty vegetarian Italian braised onion sauce has only 2 main ingredients, white onions and tomatoes. It may take a while to make but is definitely worth it! Great with pasta! Perfect as a side dish with meat, on bread and with polenta too!

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Ingredients

Servings

2.5 kg White onions (5.5 lbs)
200 g peeled tomatoes (7oz) fresh or canned
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or lard for traditional non-vegetarian version)
salt for onions, pasta and to taste
1 teaspoon sugar for onions
ground black pepper to taste

Pasta

400 g garganelli pasta (14oz) or other pasta tube

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Instructions

Peel and thinly slice the onions. ( you can use a mandoline slicer for this). Put the onions in a glass or ceramic bowl and add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix together well and leave to macerate for 2-4 hours. (Mix occasionally)
Heat the olive oil or lard in a deep heavy pan ( I used my Dutch oven) Add the onions with the liquid they produced and cook until the liquid evaporates and the onions soften.
Add the tomatoes. Mix everything together well and cook over a low heat for 1.5-2 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If necessary add a little water.
Once the sauce is ready. Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt when the water starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is ready save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
Return the pasta to the pot and add some of the braised onion sauce. (You will probably have more than you need) Mix well over a low heat for a minute or two and serve with grated parmigiano and chopped parsley if required.

Notes

I used garganelli pasta for this recipe. Garganelli is a traditional egg pasta tube from Bologna, but you can use other pasta tubes or tagliatelle.
Traditionally the onions should cook for 2 hours alone and then 1.5 hours with the tomatoes. I reduced cooking times by cooking the onions alone only until they started to soften as per the Italian recipe I followed.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 695kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 136g (45%) Protein 20g (40%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Sodium 103mg (4%) Potassium 1230mg (35%) Fiber 14g (56%) Sugar 31g (62%) Vitamin A 71IU (1%) Vitamin C 51mg (57%) Calcium 180mg (18%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 695 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	695kcal	35%
Carbohydrates	136g	45%
Protein	20g	40%
Fat	9g	14%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	5g	25%
Sodium	103mg	4%
Potassium	1230mg	26%
Fiber	14g	56%
Sugar	31g	62%
Vitamin A	71IU	1%
Vitamin C	51mg	57%
Calcium	180mg	18%
Iron	3mg	17%