One Pot French Onion Pasta
Rich caramelized onions meet creamy pasta in this comforting one-pot wonder that brings French onion soup flavors to your dinner table with minimal cleanup required.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 large yellow onions (thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese (grated)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Caramelize onions: Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat, add sliced onions and cook 25-30 minutes until golden brown and caramelized perfectly.
- Add aromatics: Stir in minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant and the kitchen smells absolutely incredible.
- Deglaze pot: Pour in white wine if using, scraping up browned bits, then add beef broth and bring mixture to gentle boil.
- Cook pasta: Add pasta directly to pot, stirring frequently and cooking according to package directions until tender but still firm.
- Make sauce: Stir in heavy cream and simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and coats pasta with creamy goodness.
- Finish dish: Remove from heat, add grated Gruyere cheese, stirring until melted, then season with salt and pepper to taste perfectly.
Notes
- Don't rush the onion caramelization process - slow cooking develops the best sweet, rich flavor that makes this dish special.
- Save some pasta cooking liquid before draining to thin the sauce later if it becomes too thick during cooking.
- Remove pot from heat completely before adding cheese to prevent it from becoming stringy and unappetizing in the final dish.
- Fresh thyme works best, but dried thyme can substitute using half the amount called for in this recipe.
- Leftovers keep well for 4 days refrigerated and taste even better the next day with developed flavors throughout.