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Pasta with Caramelized Onions

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time About 1 hour

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 5 or 6 medium-to-large onions (about 2 pounds), sliced
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 pound linguine, spaghetti, capellini, fettuccine, or other long pasta
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

  1. Slice the onions with a mandoline or the food processor’s slicing disk (my preference, because this is a lot of onions). Put them in a large dry skillet over medium-low heat and cover. Check and stir every 5 minutes. The onions will first give up lots of liquid, then dry out; after 20 to 30 minutes, when they begin to brown and stick to the pan, remove the cover. Add the 1/3 cup of olive oil, along with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Continue to cook the onions until they are uniformly brown and soft, almost pasty, 10 to 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, and start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain the pasta, reserving1 cup of the cooking water.
  3. Taste the onions and adjust the seasoning. In a warm bowl, toss together the pasta and onions, along with the remaining oil and a little of the cooking water if necessary to allow the mixture to coat the pasta evenly. Toss with the Parmesan and serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Recipe variations

PASTA WITH SAVORY CARAMELIZED ONIONS The addition of stronger flavors nicely counters the onions’ sweetness: In Step 2, add 2 tablespoons capers or chopped pitted black olives (or both) to the onions as they cook. In Step 3, add 1 teaspoon balsamic or other mild vinegar, or vinegar to taste, but don’t overdo it.

PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND YOGURT A heavenly combination: In Step 3, stir in 2 cups Greek yogurt, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to make a smooth sauce. Replace the Parmesan with Asiago, manchego, or pecorino Romano if you’d like.

PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BREAD CRUMBS Even better if you mix the bread crumbs with 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs like parsley, mint, and chives: Omit the Parmesan. Toast 1 cup Fresh Bread Crumbs or panko in a large dry skillet over medium heat until golden. Sprinkle over the pasta and serve immediately.

PASTA WITH LEEKS AND PARSLEY Silky and rich: Instead of onions, use 1 1/2 pounds leeks, trimmed rinsed well, dark green tops removed, and sliced. Omit the cheese and garnish with parsley instead.