French Onion Pasta

Experience the classic flavors of French onion soup in this cheesy and comforting pasta dish. This flavor-packed pasta is full of deep flavors– jammy caramelized onions, savory beef stock, and earthy thyme. Finish it all off with nutty gruyere cheese indulgent heavy cream, and you’ve got a delicious new twist on a classic that will have you savoring every decadent bite.

French Onion Pasta Ingredients

As you might imagine, the ingredients you’ll need to make French onion pasta are similar to what you’d need for French onion soup. This recipe sicks to those tried and true flavors that makes the dish such a fan favorite. To make this pasta-fied version of the classic you’ll need:

• Pasta: Short pasta shapes are best for this dish. We used mezzi rigatoni for its size and texture, but you can also substitute regular rigatoni, penne, farfalle or orecchiette.
• Onions: Yellow or sweet onions work best for caramelization. You’ll need 4 large onions for French onion pasta as they cook down during the caramelization process.
• Beef Stock: acts as a savory base for the pasta. Beef stock is best, but broth will work as well. Whichever you choose, be sure to look for a low sodium variety so you can better control the overall saltiness of the dish. You’ll use some stock for the sauce and use up the rest of the box to infuse flavor while boiling the pasta.
• Gruyere Cheese: is the classic cheese used to top French onion soup. Gruyere is nutty, slightly sweet and melts beautifully. Good gruyere can be a splurge but is well worth it as it adds so much flavor to the pasta.
• Thyme: adds herbaceous earthiness. Use fresh thyme leaves instead of dried for the best flavor.
• Heavy Cream: is not traditional to French onion soup but adds a necessary creaminess to this pasta version.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used for caramelizing the onions.
• Flour: A scant amount of flour for the roux that will become the base for the pasta sauce.
• Butter: for creating the roux.

How to Make French Onion Pasta

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, all you’ll need to do to whip up this fantastic pasta are these 3 things:

1. Caramelize the onions: This is perhaps the most important (and time consuming) step to the whole process. But don’t rush it! Deeply colored, jammy caramelized onions take time but will be well worth it. Slice the onions in to half-moons as thinly as you can manage. In a large skillet season the onions with kosher salt and cook in extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously. As soon as the onions begin to color slightly, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook slowly until they turn golden brown and caramelized. This will take 30-40 minutes. Stir the onions every so often, stirring more towards the end of the cook time. When the onions have fully caramelized, season with thyme leaves and fresh cracked black pepper.
2. Make the pasta sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir continuously for a minute or two to cook out the raw flour flavor. To the roux, slowly whisk in room temperature beef stock and heavy cream. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat before whisking in grated gruyere cheese. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
3. Cook the pasta and toss it all together: In a large pasta pot, bring to a boil the remaining beef stock with water added to fill the pot. Cook your chosen pasta shape to al dente according to package instructions. Use a heat proof mug to scoop out some of that starchy, stock-infused pasta water before draining the pasta. Add the drained pasta back to the pot and immediately stir in the caramelized onions and pour over the cheese sauce. Stir to combine with about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to help thin the cheese sauce and bring everything together. Transfer the French onion pasta to a large serving bowl and top with a sprinkle of thyme and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Tips for Perfect Caramelized Onions

The most important aspect of this French onion pasta is the caramelized onions. To make perfect caramelized onions you’ll want to start with very thinly sliced onions. Cut the onions in half before making thin half-moon slices. If you have a mandolin, this can help make quick work of the slicing.

When it comes time to caramelize, make sure your skillet is large enough to contain the mountain of sliced onions. They will cook way down, but will initially need lots of space to sauté. If you largest skillet is too small, use a dutch oven. Salt the onions liberally to help draw out their moisture but hold off on peppering until after they caramelize.

It may seem counter intuitive, but start you onions cooking over medium-high heat. This will help drive off their moisture quickly before lowing the heat for caramelization. During the high-heat stage of cooking, toss the onions continuously so the bottom layer doesn’t brown too quickly. As soon as the onions begin to color slightly, turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir the onions every so often, stirring more towards the end of the cook time. In about 30-40 minutes the onions will have turned a gorgeous, caramelized golden brown.

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