One-Pot French Onion Pasta (Printable)

Cozy pasta with caramelized onions, savory broth, and melted Gruyère cheese in one pot.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
02 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Pasta

03 - 12 ounces dry fettuccine or linguine

→ Liquids

04 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
05 - 4 cups vegetable or beef broth

→ Dairy

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Pantry

09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

14 - Fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Extra Gruyère or Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized.
02 - Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Cook until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
04 - Stir in dried thyme, bay leaf, and broth, then bring to a boil.
05 - Add uncooked pasta, stir well, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is al dente and most liquid has been absorbed.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses until melted and creamy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and extra cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one pot, which means fewer dishes and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • The caramelized onions create this deep, savory sweetness that tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • It comes together in under an hour but feels indulgent enough to serve when someone special is coming over.
02 -
  • Caramelizing the onions is not something you can rush—the 20–25 minutes sounds like a long time, but that's what develops the deep flavor that makes this dish worth making.
  • Add the pasta uncooked right into the broth because it absorbs all that golden flavor as it cooks, creating a pasta dish that tastes like it spent hours simmering.
  • Don't oversalt anything until the very end because the broth, cheese, and ingredients all contribute salt, and you'll end up with something too salty if you're not careful.
03 -
  • Keep the heat at medium-low during the pasta cooking so the broth simmers gently and the pasta finishes tender without the bottom catching and burning.
  • Use a wooden spoon to stir frequently because it scrapes the bottom better than other utensils and helps keep everything moving evenly.
  • If the dish seems too thick once the pasta is cooked, you can stir in a splash more broth or even some pasta water to loosen it back up to your preferred consistency.
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