Description
This French Onion Pasta is a creamy, comforting one-pot dish featuring deeply caramelized onions and a rich umami-packed sauce without any heavy cream. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it offers complex flavors from Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and fresh herbs, delivering a luxurious meal that’s budget-friendly and easy to prepare. Perfect for a cozy dinner for six.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large yellow onions, sliced into rings 1/8-inch thick (Mandoline recommended)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 5 1/2 cups water (may substitute beef broth and omit bouillon)
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon (granulated, base or cubes) (may omit and use beef broth instead of water)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pasta and Cheese
- 1 pound short cut pasta (uncooked, I use orecchiette)
- 5 ounces freshly shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Garnish
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: Heat olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions with salt and pepper. Stir frequently and cook the onions slowly for about 45 minutes until deeply golden brown and caramelized, being careful not to burn them.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Prepare Sauce: Add Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, beef bouillon, and water (or beef broth if substituting) to the pot. Stir to combine the mixture with the caramelized onions.
- Simmer Pasta: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and add the uncooked pasta directly into the pot. Stir occasionally and cook until the pasta is tender, about 12-15 minutes, allowing it to absorb the flavorful broth.
- Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, mix the evaporated milk with cornstarch until smooth. Slowly stir this mixture into the pot. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add Herbs and Spices: Stir in fresh parsley, thyme, dried oregano, paprika, and pepper. Adjust salt if needed to taste.
- Finish with Cheese: Remove the pot from heat, then stir in the shredded Gruyere and Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Serve: Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired and serve warm as a comforting main dish.
Notes
- This recipe is a one-pot wonder that is pantry and budget-friendly with no heavy cream, making it lighter but still luxuriously creamy.
- Caramelizing onions slowly is key for developing deep, rich flavor; do not rush this step or increase heat to speed up.
- Using beef broth instead of water and omitting bouillon is an easy substitution to reduce sodium or simplify ingredients.
- Orecchiette pasta works well, but any short cut pasta like penne or shells can be used.
- This recipe is versatile; feel free to add mushrooms, spinach, or cooked beef for variation.
- For vegetarian version, omit Worcestershire sauce or use a vegan alternative, and avoid beef bouillon.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
