Description
French Onion Pasta is a rich and flavorful dish inspired by classic French onion soup. This creamy pasta features caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, pancetta, and a savory sauce made with beef and chicken broth, half and half, and aromatic seasonings. Finished with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, this comforting meal brings together deep umami flavors and creamy textures for a satisfying dinner treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pasta and Toppings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz white button mushrooms
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 medium yellow onions (about 15 oz), sliced into ¼-inch strings
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ¾ pound orecchiette pasta
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce Ingredients: Combine all the sauce ingredients (beef broth, chicken broth, half and half, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano) in a large measuring cup or bowl and set aside. Measure and prepare all remaining ingredients before starting cooking, including shredding/grating cheeses.
- Sauté Mushrooms and Pancetta: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, seasoning with salt to enhance flavor. Then add diced pancetta and continue sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until pancetta is crisp. Remove both from skillet and set aside.
- Deglaze Skillet with Wine: Turn off heat briefly, then add white wine to the same skillet. Turn heat back to medium and use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the skillet, loosening browned bits to add more flavor to the sauce.
- Cook Onions: Add butter and sliced onions to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Caramelize Onions: Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking onions, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 35 minutes. If onions cook too quickly or start to stick, lower the heat and add small splashes of olive oil or wine to maintain moisture.
- Boil Pasta Water: While onions caramelize, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt once boiling (about ½ tablespoon kosher salt) to season the pasta water.
- Add Garlic and Flour: Add minced garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute. Then stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to form a roux.
- Add Sauce Mixture: Gradually add the pre-mixed sauce ingredients to the skillet in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the skillet.
- Cook Pasta: Add orecchiette pasta to boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta once cooked.
- Add Cheese to Sauce: Reduce stove heat to low. Gradually stir in shredded Gruyere and grated Parmesan cheeses into the sauce until smoothly melted and combined. Avoid overheating to prevent dairy separation.
- Combine Mushrooms, Pancetta, and Pasta: Stir sautéed mushrooms and pancetta back into the sauce. Gradually add cooked pasta to the skillet, stirring until you reach your preferred sauce-to-pasta ratio.
- Serve: Plate the creamy French Onion Pasta immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Wine: Use Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay for best results. Chicken or beef broth alone can be used if avoiding alcohol.
- Pasta: Orecchiette is recommended, but penne, ziti, shells, cavatappi, farfalle, or rigatoni also work well.
- Cheese: Freshly shred Gruyere and Parmesan from blocks for best melting and flavor. Whole milk low moisture mozzarella can substitute Gruyere if needed.
- Adding cheese over low heat prevents grainy or separated sauce.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are perfect, but baby portabella or cremini mushrooms are good alternatives.
- Onions: Slice uniformly for even caramelization.
- Hot Sauce: Adds depth but not spiciness; Frank’s Hot Sauce is recommended.
- Pancetta: Can be replaced with bacon, finely diced ham, or omitted with added bouillon cube for savory depth.
- Broth: Combination of chicken and beef broth adds richer flavor; either can be used alone if preferred.
- Reserve some pasta water to thin sauce if it becomes too thick or clumpy.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
