Caramelized Onion Cream Pasta (Printable)
Golden caramelized onions meet silky Parmesan cream sauce for the ultimate vegetarian comfort pasta.
# Ingredient List:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz fettuccine or spaghetti
→ Caramelized Onions
02 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tsp sugar
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ Cream Sauce
07 - 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
08 - 1/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
12 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
13 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 - Extra grated Parmesan, to serve
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the fettuccine or spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and sprinkle evenly with the sugar and salt to encourage browning.
03 - Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 25 to 30 minutes until they turn a rich golden brown and become deeply caramelized. If the onions begin to stick to the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze and continue cooking.
04 - Stir the minced garlic into the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
05 - Reduce the heat to low and pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring gently to combine. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
06 - Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the cream sauce. Toss vigorously to coat every strand, adding small splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce becomes silky and clings to the noodles.
07 - Transfer to warm serving bowls or plates immediately. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan to taste.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The caramelized onions taste like they took hours of effort, but honestly you just need patience and a wooden spoon.
- The cream sauce is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.
02 -
- Do not rush the onions because turning up the heat will burn them before they caramelize, and that bitterness cannot be fixed.
- Reserving the pasta water is not optional since that starchy liquid is what transforms a greasy pool into a sauce that actually clings to the noodles.
03 -
- Slice the onions as evenly as you can because thin pieces caramelize faster and thick ones stay crunchy, which makes the texture inconsistent.
- Use the widest skillet you own since overcrowding the onions traps steam and steaming is the enemy of caramelization.