Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake
One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake A rich and flavorful dish combining the classic flavors of French onion soup with the convenience of a one-pot pasta bake
One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake A rich and flavorful dish combining the classic flavors of French onion soup with the convenience of a one-pot pasta bake
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt + pepper to taste
- 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2-3 sweet onions (i like to use 2 smaller onions)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (omit if vegetarian)
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth + 3/4 cups water
- 1 pound of your favorite short cut pasta (i use gluten free)
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled (optional)
- Carbohydrate 9.04872625666155 g
- Cholesterol 85.4844754619981 mg
- Fat 26.0673259829846 g
- Fiber 0.279396192286192 g
- Protein 10.0602019401741 g
- Saturated Fat 15.9401705575742 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (261g)
- Sodium 191.727192835902 mg
- Sugar 8.76933006437535 g
- Trans Fat 1.4982955268167 g
- Calories 365 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat a large high-sided dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onions + brown sugar and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point you want to slowly add the Worcestershire sauce and the wine, let them cook into the onions, add more and continue to cook. Do this until the the wine is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking. Make sure the wine has evaporated.
- Preheat the the broiler to high.
- Toss the mushroom and garlic in with the caramelized onions, season with salt + pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft.
- Pour in the chicken broth + water and bring to a boil. Add your pasta, bay leaves and thyme, cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has been soaked up by the pasta and the pasta is al dente. If you feel your pasta needs more water to continue cooking, add around 1/2 cup.
- Stir in the cream and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir in half the gruyere cheese. Cook 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Top with the remaining cheese and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm, top with fresh thyme and parsley if desired.
Recipes rarely account for how drastically onion moisture varies across seasons, meaning a strict ten-minute window for browning rarely yields true caramelization. Late-summer bulbs contain higher sugar concentrations and less water, whereas winter-stored roots require extended low heat to break down properly. Adjust the stovetop burner down if the pan edges brown before the centers soften completely.
Reading the Onions Without a Timer
Patience governs proper allium transformation. Look for a deep amber hue and a sticky, jam-like consistency rather than watching the clock. Deglazing the Dutch oven repeatedly with small splashes of wine lifts the fond, incorporating those deeply savory browned bits back into the vegetable matrix. Ensure the liquid fully evaporates before adding mushrooms, otherwise excess moisture will steam the fungi instead of browning their exterior surfaces.Testing Pasta Texture in Broth
Cooking dried shapes directly in broth demands vigilant stirring to prevent starches from scorching on the bottom of heavy cast iron. Bite into a single piece around the eight-minute mark to check resistance. Al dente starch should offer a firm, chalk-free chew at the very center before heavy cream and Gruyere enter the pot. Residual heat softens the noodles further during the final two minutes under the broiler.Managing Dietary Adjustments
Vegetarian modifications require swapping out standard broths for a robust mushroom stock while omitting the Worcestershire sauce entirely. Gluten-free short cuts maintain structural integrity best when cooked one minute shy of the package instructions to withstand starch breakdown in dairy sauces.
