One-Pot French Onion Pasta (Print Version)

A cozy, flavorful dish with caramelized onions, pasta, and melted Gruyère cheese for a satisfying, one-pot meal.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

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

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz dry fettuccine or linguine

→ Liquids

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

→ Dairy

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

→ Pantry

09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 tsp sugar
11 - 1/2 tsp 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 20–25 minutes until the onions are deeply golden brown and caramelized.
02 - Add minced garlic to the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Continue cooking until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
04 - Stir in dried thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil.
05 - Add the dry pasta into the boiling broth. Stir well, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10–12 minutes until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Stir in Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses until melted and integrated into a creamy sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
07 - Plate the pasta hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and additional cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a legitimate one-pot dinner that somehow tastes like you've been tending it for hours, when really you've just set it and stirred.
  • The combination of crispy-edged pasta with savory, deeply sweet onions and melted cheese creates this perfect balance between comfort and elegance.
02 -
  • The onion caramelization is non-negotiable—rush it and you'll end up with sweet onion pasta instead of the deep, complex flavor you're after.
  • Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks in the broth so it doesn't clump together and stick to the bottom of the pot, which I learned the hard way the first time.
03 -
  • Keep the pasta stirring frequent and intentional during those final minutes—it's the difference between creamy and gloppy, and your wooden spoon is your best friend here.
  • Don't add all the cheese at once; stir it in gradually so it melts evenly and creates that silky, cohesive sauce instead of little pockets of melted cheese throughout.
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