Description
This French Onion and Browned Butter Pasta combines rich caramelized onions with nutty browned butter and creamy parmesan sauce, tossed with linguine for a decadent yet easy-to-make dinner. The layers of flavor come together beautifully in a luscious, comforting pasta dish perfect for elevating any meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Onions
- 0.25 cup (0.5 stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced into half-moon shapes
- 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Browned Butter
- 0.5 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Pasta
- 8 ounces linguine
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Onions: In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 0.25 cup (0.5 stick) unsalted butter. Add the thinly sliced yellow onions, season with 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper, and sauté for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very tender and a rich caramel color. Transfer the caramelized onions to a plate and set aside.
- Browns the Butter: Using the same skillet, melt 0.5 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Stir and scrape the pan constantly as the butter melts. Continue cooking until the butter turns a chestnut brown color and emits a nutty aroma. Remove the skillet from heat and let the browned butter cool slightly.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 8 ounces of linguine and cook until al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In a high-powered food processor or blender, combine the caramelized onions, browned butter, and 0.5 cup of reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth and well combined. Return the blended mixture to the original skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese melts and the sauce is heated through.
- Toss the Pasta: Add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat the noodles evenly in the creamy onion and browned butter sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with extra grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve hot for a flavorful, comforting meal.
Notes
- Use a high-quality parmesan cheese for the best flavor and meltability.
- Caramelizing onions slowly is key to developing their sweet depth of flavor; avoid increasing heat or rushing this step.
- You can substitute linguine with other long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti if preferred.
- An immersion blender can be used instead of a food processor to blend the onion mixture directly in the skillet.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste depending on your parmesan cheese’s saltiness.
- If you want to reduce calories, substitute half the heavy cream with whole milk, but this will affect richness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 26 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
