French Onion Pasta

French Onion Pasta is filled with the wonderful flavors of the classic soup recipe but in pasta form! Caramelized onions, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh thyme are cooked with pasta and parmesan cheese for an amazing meal. This recipe is so easy to make and will please your whole family!

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If you love classic French onion soup, you are going to adore this incredible French onion soup pasta recipe made with spaghetti or linguine combined with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and thyme in a tasty sauce. Made without any heavy cream, you can finish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese for a satisfying meal that’s great for family dinner.

Why you should make this recipe

• Super delicious comfort food: Everyone loves a good pasta dish, and this one with caramelized onions, sautéed veggies, and parmesan is next level. It’s warm, comforting, and filled with so much flavor.
• Easy to make: French onion pasta is an easy meal to make and can be ready in just over 30 minutes. There’s minimal prep required, and other than boiling the pasta, everything cooks in one skillet, making cleanup a breeze!
• Versatile: There are lots of ways to serve this meal and make it your own. It’s great served alone or with some crusty bread and a salad. You could also add some chopped, cooked chicken for a boost of protein.

Ingredients needed

This French onion pasta recipe is made with pretty much the same ingredients we use to make the soup. Caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, herbs, and parmesan cheese are combined with pasta to create a mouth-watering meal! Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Pasta: I like to use whole-grain spaghetti or linguine, but any noodle type will work.
• Kosher salt and pepper: Season the pasta water to enhance the flavors.
• Olive oil: For caramelizing the onion. Butter is a good substitute.
• Onions: Use white onions or yellow onions for a delicious sweet and savory flavor.
• Mushrooms: Sliced button mushrooms are sautéed with the garlic, thyme and balsamic vinegar until they’re tender and flavorful.
• Garlic: Gives the pasta a more complex flavor.
• Fresh thyme: Using the same classic herb that adds freshness and extra flavor to French onion soup.
• Balsamic vinegar: A great addition to cut some of the richness and also add depth of flavor to the pasta sauce. You may also use dry white wine or sherry vinegar.
• Beef broth: Use beef stock for moisture and flavor. You can sub with vegetable broth or chicken broth to keep this recipe vegetarian.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan will taste the best and melt nicely.
• Chopped parsley: To garnish the dish and add a pop of color. You can sub with more fresh thyme, if you’d like.

How to make French Onion Pasta

One Pot French onion pasta is super easy to make! Once you’ve caramelized the onions everything comes together super quick too! Here’s the simple process:

1. Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
2. Caramelize the onion: Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a rimmed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until mostly caramelized and golden, around 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Sauté the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes more. Add garlic, thyme, and balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Simmer the stock: Add the stock and bubble until reduced by half.
5. Combine all ingredients and serve: Add in the cooked pasta and pasta water. Stir well together with the parmesan cheese. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Expert tips

• Watch the onions closely: While cooking the onions be sure to keep a close eye on them, to avoid them burning. You should be stirring them about every 3-4 minutes. If they start to burn, reduce the heat, and stir more frequently. It may be necessary to add a teaspoon or two of water as well.
• Mushrooms: Omit the mushrooms if you don’t like them. We enjoy their added flavor and texture. Also, I like to use button mushrooms, but any variety will work.
• Type of pasta: I like whole grain spaghetti or linguine for this recipe, but you could use a short pasta like penne or ziti, too. Use whatever kind of pasta you like best. For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free pasta.
• A different cheese: Parmesan cheese is easy to find and tastes great with the other ingredients, but gruyere cheese is traditionally used to make French onion soup, so you could use that instead if preferred. Other cheeses that work great are Swiss cheese, gruyere cheese, or provolone cheese.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

There are so many ways to serve this French onion soup pasta for the perfect dinner! Here are some ideas I love:

• Protein: For added texture and heartiness, add in cooked ground beef or ground turkey. You can also pair this alongside your favorite grilled chicken like this honey mustard grilled chicken, seared shrimp like this Healthy shrimp scampi, or steak like this Seared Mushroom Steak Bites Recipe to make it a full meal!
• Bread: This is great served with any bread you typically enjoy with pasta. We like buttered sourdough bread, homemade dinner rolls, garlic bread like this Garlic Naan, or breadsticks.
• Vegetables: For extra nutrients, add a side of garlic-roasted vegetables.
• Salad: A fresh green salad is a lovely pairing with this super savory dish. We like to combine chopped romaine lettuce, with chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, and croutons. Try it with homemade ranch dressing over the top.

Storage recommendations

Just like most pasta recipes, this French onion pasta is great leftover! You’ll have an easy lunch to warm up the next day. Here is how to store leftovers:

• In the refrigerator: Transfer cooled pasta to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• To reheat: Leftovers can be reheated on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. You may need to add a small amount of broth, water or milk to moisten and loosen the noodles.

More pasta recipes

• Baked Feta Pasta with Shrimp
• Creamy Salmon Pasta
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
• Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
• Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
• Easy Creamy Shrimp Pasta
• Shrimp Rasta Pasta
• Tuscan Chicken pasta

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