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French Onion Pasta
French Onion Pasta

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French Onion Pasta

Online recipe · as published / commonly shared

4 to 6 servings · Prep 10 min · Cook 45 min · Total 55 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

French onion soup flavors in a one-pot pasta. The onions cook slowly until deeply caramelized.

Sweat and caramelize the onions

Place a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat and add:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Once the butter has melted completely, add:

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced 1/4-inch thick

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Cook until the onions soften and release most of their liquid, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Sauté for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until the onions are deeply caramelized. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir frequently so the onions don’t burn.

Add the aromatics and deglaze

Add:

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Mix and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add:

3/4 cup dry white wine

Use a wooden spoon to scrape and deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Cook the pasta

Add:

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup water

2 bay leaves

Cover with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil. Add:

1 pound dried orecchiette pasta

Simmer, uncovered, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the pan. It should always stay mostly submerged in liquid.

Stir in the heavy cream, Worcestershire, and cheese

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in:

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese (about 3.2 ounces), plus more for serving

Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and:

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

The sauce will thicken as it cools a bit. Top with more cheese before serving.

Citations

Cookbook ancestor

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Reference: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck (1961). Publisher: Knopf, 2001 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-0375413407.

We put this together for personal use. See the citations. This is not a cookbook reprint.