This French Onion Pasta recipe is rich & creamy with sweet caramelized onions, hearty pasta, garlic, gruyere and parmesan cheese, and a splash of sherry vinegar.
Your favorite classic French Onion Soup recipe is now an easy pasta recipe your whole family can enjoy for dinner! My family doesn't consider soup a full meal so I took the flavors of my favorite soup and brought it into this pasta.
If you love the flavor of sweet caramelized onions then my glazed shallots recipe would be right up your alley. These make a great Thanksgiving side dish.
A Quick Glance At The Recipe
- ✅Done in: 25 minutes prep, 45 minute cook time
- 🛒Ingredients: 17, including salt and pepper.
- 🍽️Serves: 4 servings
- 💪Difficulty: Easy - While it takes plenty of time, it's not difficult.
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Stovetop
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Meant to be enjoyed fresh. Leftovers are tasty but not as creamy.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The taste of your favorite soup in an easy to make creamy onion pasta dish.
- Hearty and filling between the pasta and piles of onions, just like Marry Me Chicken Tortellini.
- Caramelized onions simply melt when you eat them so even the kids won't have a complaint.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Stock: Both chicken and beef are included to add an amazing depth of flavor.
- Sherry Vinegar: This adds a flavor boost that isn't to be missed.
- Cheese: Gruyere is classic on a bowl of soup, and Parmesan adds tang. I like to buy a block and shred my own, the same as I do for One-Pot Marry me Chicken Orzo.
- Sour Cream: Adds richness and makes this French Onion Pasta recipe have a hint of beef stroganoff.
- Rigatoni Pasta: The ridges hold onto the sauce so you have some in every bite.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Stir in cooked chicken breast or braised beef to really make this a hearty meal.
- You can use Swiss if you can't get your hands on Gruyere.
- No rigatoni? Select another short cut that catches sauce well such as farfalle, penne, or egg noodles.
- Serve this dish with crusty bread, smearing garlic confit on top.
- Make this French Onion Soup Pasta into French Onion Soup Casserole! Make the sauce as directed then pour it into a 13x9 casserole dish. Top with toasted bread slices, I like to use garlic flavored crostini, add a little extra gruyere and parmesan over the top of the casserole then bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make French Onion Pasta
Step 1: Caramelize onions low and slow with butter and oil.
Step 2: Make a roux, add stock, and boil to thicken.
Step 3: Cook pasta according to package directions and add to sauce.
Step 4: Stir to combine all ingredients well before serving.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Get the onions nice and caramelized. You'll need a little patience because this does take around 30 minutes but if done correctly, it adds SO much flavor. Keep the heat on medium low and give the onions a stir every 3 minutes or so, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the salt after the onions are caramelized. The sweet onions are the best part!
- Cook rigatoni until you have al dente pasta. The pasta will continue to cook in the hot sauce so you don't want it to be over done. Al dente pasta is a must in all your pasta recipes, especially something with a fun pasta noodle like Lobster Pasta.
- You can use this same onion mixture for making French onion dip or green beans too!
Recipe FAQs
If you have leftover French Onion pasta then you can store it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I do not recommend freezing this pasta. Similar to One Pot Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, it does not freeze well. The textures will lose quality.
To reheat this pasta, use the microwave or a pot over low-medium heat. If reheating in a pot, I suggest adding a bit of chicken or beef stock to thin out the sauce and make it creamy again.
French onion flavor is a sweet onion flavor that comes out from caramelizing onions combined with beef broth and thyme. This creates a robust mix of sweet and savory flavors.
Sherry vinegar helps give French Onion Pasta it's classic French onion soup taste. So for me, I would not substitute with another type of vinegar.
🧁Krista's Food Truck & Mom POV
Running a food truck and raising two girls means I like to have a stash of quick gourmet meals & snack recipes stored in the back of my head, and this Pesto Bruschetta with Burrata recipe is just that!
Made in under 30-minutes, it pleases kids and adults so it's a win-win. Add a bit of leftover protein, maybe some mortadella or salami (both kid friendly) over the top and call it a meal.
This bruschetta recipe tastes fancy but is as easy as spreading pesto and layering ingredients. Perfect for dinner parties, and afterschool snacks - don't want the kids to be hangry 😜
More Dinner Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
French Onion Pasta
Equipment
- 2 large pots
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
French Onion Pasta
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 yellow onions julienne
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 7 oz gruyere shredded
- 1 cup parmesan shredded
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lbs rigatoni pasta
Topping (optional)
- 1 cup french fried onions
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
Instructions
Caramelize Onions
- Melt butter with olive oil in a medium - large pot. Add onions, give them a quick stir then leave them undisturbed for 3-4 minutes at a time, stirring after each interval and scraping the bottom of the pan until onions become soft and brown in color. This will take a little while so be patient.
Making Sauce
- Stir in garlic, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant
- Stir in flour. Leave heat on medium low and cook the flour for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently
- Stir in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot. Liquid will thicken rapidly. Add chicken and beef stock and sherry vinegar, whisking until smooth. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil
- Whisk in shredded gruyere until smooth. Add parmesan and stir until melted
- Stir in sour cream
Boil Pasta
- While sauce is cooking, boil a large pot of water and cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain then add to sauce. Serve immediately
Toppings (optional)
- Toss french fried onions with garlic and salt then top pasta
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