With gooey, melty cheese and crisp, buttery breadcrumbs.
This French Onion Soup Pasta is an absolute dream. A comfort food mash-up sent straight from heaven. Well, sent from my brain actually, but to be fair it is for the most part quite light and airy up there as I imagine heaven to be.
An easy one pot french onion pasta dish combining the rich flavours of classic French onion soup with the comforting creaminess of pasta. Caramelized onions, garlic, and a big old splash of wine create a deeply flavourful sauce that coats the pasta. The whole dish is then topped off with loads of gooey melted cheese and crispy brown breadcrumbs in a truly indulgent twist on two of my tried and true comfort food favourites.
Remember when pretty much every restaurant you went to served French Onion Soup? It was so mainstream you could get it just about anywhere. They also had escargot, which my dad loved and would always order. Which is gross. The other thing those restaurants always had was a salad bar. I miss salad bars so much… iceberg lettuce, purple cabbage, shredded carrots, pickled beets and Thousand Island Dressing. That was my go-to and I always filled up on so much salad bar and soup that I never ate my dinner which super thrilled my parents.
Nowadays you’re lucky to find French Onion Soup anywhere so making your own has become a necessity. This, however, means we can justify investing in fun little onion soup bowls that take up cupboard space and serve no other purpose and make our spouses angry. Totally worth it.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
French Onion Soup Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 medium-sized yellow onions sliced thinly
- 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
- salt and black pepper
- 3 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 lb pasta I like rigatoni
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
For the Topping:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, melted butter and garlic powder, Mix well and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy, deep sided skillet over med-high heat.
- Add in the onions and the brown sugar.
- Allow the onions to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are very soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the wine. Once most of the wine has been absorbed, lower the heat.
- Continue cooking the onions for about another 15-20 minutes until the onions are caramelized.
Add in the garlic, thyme, and a good pinch each of S&P. season with salt and pepper, cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the broth, the soy sauce and the pasta and bring it all to a boil.
- Stirring often, cook for about 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the broth has been absorbed. Watch carefully and add more broth or a little water if the pot is dry and the pasta isn’t cooked.**
- Add in the cream and a handful (about 1/2 cup) of the cheese and stir well.
- Top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs and transfer to the oven.
- Bake 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
Notes
French Onion Soup Pasta Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Onions – regular yellow onions are ideal because they give the most oniony flavour, which is exactly what we’re going for here. Not to worry because they will get completely mellow and sweet when cooked. (read more here)
Wine – the recipe calls for red wine, but you can use white as well and it will be equally delicious. Just try to choose a richly flavoured wine.
Pasta – I like rigatoni because it’s a family fave but any shorter cut pasta will work.
Broth – beef broth is delicious but you can keep this dish vegetarian by using vegetable broth.
Soy Sauce – the soy sauce gives a really lovely added depth of flavour.
One Pot French Onion Soup Pasta Recipe Variations:
Mushroom Version – chop some cremini mushrooms, toss with some olive oil and S&P and roast at 450 for about 10 minutes. Stir into the soup along with the cream.
Chicken Version – stir in 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken along with the cream.
French Onion Soup Pasta recipe, how to make it…
In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Give it a good stir until everything is well combined, then set it aside (you’ll want it ready for the grand finale).
Next, melt some butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sprinkle on the brown sugar. Let those onions cook, stirring occasionally, until they get nice and soft—about 5 minutes.
Now, add in the wine (my favourite part – make sure you don’t forget about quality control here) and once it’s mostly absorbed, turn the heat down to just above low and let the onions keep cooking for another 15-20 minutes, until they’re beautifully caramelized and smelling like heaven.
Once your onions are perfectly golden, add in the garlic, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper—give it all a good stir and cook for another minute or two.
And now the pasta! Pour in the broth, soy sauce, and pasta, and bring the whole thing to a boil. Stir it often to make sure it’s not sticking (lower the heat if needed) and cook to al dente, adding more liquid if needed.
Once the pasta’s done, stir in the cream and a handful of cheese. Stir well until it’s all luscious and dreamy.
Remove the pan from the heat and top evenly with the rest of the cheese. Then sprinkle those buttery breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Pop it in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese and breadcrumbs are golden. And there you go. A one pot french onion pasta that tastes like absolute heaven.
looking for some other yummy pasta recipes? try these…
- Lemon Pesto Ricotta Lasagna
- Pasta and Peas with Bacon
- Mac and Cheese with Cheetos
- Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Pasta in Green Sauce
- Ricotta Pesto Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers
- Gochujang Pasta – With Vodka and Cream
If you like this French Onion Soup Pasta Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
