This one is for my younger sister. She’s a vegetarian but I like to tease her and call her a carbotarian, as she prefers pasta and carbohydrates to vegetables. This pasta dish seemed like something she would willingly eat and enjoy.
A pasta dish where both the noodles and the sauce are simultaneously cooked in a single pot without draining, this one-pot pasta features the classic flavors of French onion soup. The pasta is cooked in a combination of broth (we substituted vegetable broth for beef broth) and sherry, adding richness to the sauce. Sweetness from caramelized onions also contributes to the flavor and depth of the dish. Gruyère cheese, both melted into the pasta and as a topping, completes this riff on a classic comfort dish of French cuisine.
As the Fall temperatures and blustery weather replace the bright days of Summer, French Onion Pasta will be satisfying our cravings for comfort food this Autumn.
French Onion Pasta
French Onion Pasta (adapted from thekitchn.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 15 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes, Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Cut the onions into paper-thin slices with a mandoline or by hand. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly.
Cook the onions.
Cook the onions until they are dark and caramelized, about 30 – 45 minutes.
Cook until the onions are caramelized.
Add the orecchiette, vegetable broth, and sherry to the pot of onions, and cook about 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. (Up to 2/3 cup of water can be added to the pot if more liquid is needed to keep the pasta submerged until it is cooked.)
Add the pasta, broth, and sherry to the pot.
Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère cheese. Once the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.
Add the cheese to the pot of pasta.
Taste and season the dish with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with some additional grated Gruyère.
Top with some grated Gruyère.
Serve with extra grated cheese on the side and some crusty bread if desired. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Serve with additional cheese and bread, if desired.
Hope you enjoy this one, Andi! ~Linda
French Onion Pasta (adapted from thekitchn.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 15 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes, Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 2 ounces (about 3/4 cup) Gruyère cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Cut the onions into paper-thin slices with a mandoline or by hand. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until they are dark and caramelized, about 30 – 45 minutes. Add the orecchiette, vegetable broth, and sherry to the pot of onions, and cook about 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. (Up to 2/3 cup of water can be added to the pot if more liquid is needed to keep the pasta submerged until it is cooked.)
Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère cheese. Once the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.
Taste and season the dish with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with some additional grated Gruyère.
Serve with extra grated cheese on the side and some crusty bread if desired. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.