Description
Comfort meets elegance in this French onion soup pasta, blending classic French flavors with hearty pasta perfection. Rich caramelized onions, melted gruyère, and deeply savory broth create a soul-warming dish you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 8 oz pasta (fusilli, rigatoni, or penne)
- 2 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup dry white wine (or beef broth)
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Optional: extra cheese for topping and broiling
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: Gently sauté sliced onions in butter and olive oil over medium heat, sprinkling with sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir continuously for 25-30 minutes until onions transform into a rich, deep golden hue.
- Infuse Aromatics: Introduce minced garlic and cook for one minute, releasing its fragrant essence.
- Deglaze and Intensify: Pour white wine into the skillet, carefully scraping accumulated flavor from the pan’s bottom. Allow liquid to reduce for 2-3 minutes, concentrating the savory notes.
- Create Flavor Base: Pour beef broth and sprinkle thyme into the onion mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes to develop a robust, complex taste profile.
- Develop Creamy Sauce: Incorporate heavy cream, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheese, stirring until ingredients meld into a luxuriously smooth sauce.
- Combine Pasta: Fold cooked pasta into the sauce, ensuring every strand is generously coated. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water if needed.
- Final Touch: Optional broiling with additional cheese creates a golden, bubbling crust. Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley before serving piping hot.
Notes
- Patience is key when browning onions; use medium-low heat and stir frequently to prevent burning while developing deep, rich flavor.
- Choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio that complements the onions’ sweetness without overpowering the dish.
- Grate Gruyere and Parmesan fresh for smoother melting and more intense flavor; add gradually while stirring to create a silky sauce.
- Always reserve some pasta water before draining; its starchy consistency helps bind the sauce and creates a more luxurious texture when added sparingly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg