French Onion Pasta Bake (Printable Version)

Creamy pasta layered with caramelized onions and a blend of melting cheeses, baked golden and bubbly.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz short pasta such as rigatoni or penne

→ Onions

02 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Flavorings

08 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
10 - 2 cups low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Sauce and Cheese

13 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
14 - 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
15 - 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
16 - 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

→ Topping

17 - 1/3 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 8x12 inch baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add onions, salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden and caramelized.
04 - Add garlic and thyme; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in white wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Cook until wine reduces by half, approximately 3 minutes.
06 - Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with black pepper.
07 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and remove from heat.
08 - Combine cooked pasta, caramelized onion mixture, Gruyère, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Mix well.
09 - Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyère cheese.
10 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
11 - Let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like French onion soup and pasta bake had a love affair, meaning you get that deep savory comfort without the fuss of two dishes.
  • The caramelized onions do most of the heavy lifting for flavor, so you're actually not standing over the stove as much as you'd think.
  • It feeds four people generously and honestly tastes even better the next day if you have leftovers.
02 -
  • Those 20 to 25 minutes of caramelizing onions cannot be rushed or they'll taste bitter, so set a timer and actually stir instead of walking away.
  • Adding the cream off the heat keeps it from breaking and curdling, a lesson I learned when I was impatient and it cost me an entire batch.
03 -
  • Undercook the pasta by two minutes because baking dries it out slightly, and you want it just past tender rather than starting off soft.
  • Let the caramelized onions cool slightly before adding the cream so the temperature stays controlled and nothing breaks or separates.
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