French Onion Soup Pasta

French onion pasta serve in a cast-iron skillet and topped with shredded cheese and fresh thyme.

5 from 3 votes

This French onion pasta recipe features sweet caramelized onions, fresh thyme, and Gruyere cheese, all cooked in one pot until creamy perfection. it's restaurant-worthy and tastes fancy, but it's easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French-Inspired

Servings:

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Petra

Ingredients

2 tablespoon butter use vegan butter if needed
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, divided or more to taste
1.1 lb (500g) yellow onion, thinly sliced ~2 large onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour use rice flour or gluten-free flour if needed
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
6 cups hot vegetable broth
12 ounces (340g) short-cut pasta I use small conchiglie, use gluten-free pasta if needed
¼ tsp Freshly cracked black pepper or more to taste
4 oz (115g) Gruyère cheese, shredded use vegan mozzarella if needed

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1.1 lb (500g) yellow onion, thinly sliced, ½ teaspoon salt, divided
Cook, stirring often, for 45-50 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize and have a deep golden brown color. In the beginning, you won't have to stir as frequently.
If they start to burn at any point, add a splash of water to bring the temperature down. When the onions start to develop some color (after 30 minutes), turn the heat to high and start stirring every 30 seconds to 1 minute.
When the onions have caramelized, add the minced garlic and fresh thyme, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.
4 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
Add the flour and stir. Toast for 30 seconds, then deglaze the pan with the white wine and soy sauce. Stir well to get any brow bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the alcohol evaporates.
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ cup dry white wine, 2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth, and the uncooked pasta, and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper.
6 cups hot vegetable broth, 12 ounces (340g) short-cut pasta, ¼ teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper
Cook the pasta over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or until it absorbs most of the liquid. When that happens, add another 2 cups of vegetable broth, and continue cooking until it absorbs most of the liquid. Then, add the final 2 cups and cook until you have a luscious sauce and the pasta is cooked through This will take you roughly 25 minutes, for the pasta to absorb all of the liquid, release starch, and cook through.
The best way to tell if the pasta is ready is to taste it. It should be al dente, meaning the pasta should have a slight bite to it and be chewy, but still soft. In the end, turn off the heat and stir the cheese until it melts. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt and black pepper as needed. Serve!
4 oz (115g) Gruyère cheese, shredded

Notes

Storage

Fridge: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that this will change the texture of the pasta and I haven't tried it myself.

Reheating

Add pasta to a pan with a splash of vegetable broth and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until warmed through.

To make it vegan

You'll need to use vegan butter and either omit the cheese or use any vegan cheese of your choice. I think vegan mozzarella will be delicious here, I like VioLife's mozzarella block.

To make it gluten-free

You can use gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose flour, and any gluten-free pasta of your choice. I love using chickpea pasta - it's naturally gluten-free and packed with protein.

Nutrition