I’ve been making this Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta on repeat lately. It has that comforting, satisfying quality of a dish that’s been simmering for hours, but it actually comes together pretty quickly. The deep flavor really comes from giving the onions the time they need to get all sweet and jammy, which creates a sauce that coats every piece of pasta in the best way.
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup plant-based cream (I usually grab oat cream, but cashew works great too)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (this gives it a nice cheesy, savory kick)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper
- 12 oz orecchiette pasta
- A bit of fresh parsley, chopped, for the top
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Get your olive oil warming in a large pan over a medium-low flame. Add the onions and just let them cook down, stirring every now and then. This is the most important part and it can’t be rushed—you’re looking for a really deep amber color after about 30-40 minutes. They’ll shrink a ton and get super sweet.
Step 2: Toss the minced garlic in with the onions and stir it around for a minute until it smells amazing.
Step 3: Pour in the veggie broth and cream, using your spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan (that’s pure flavor). Stir in the nutritional yeast and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and let it all simmer for a few minutes to meld together.
Step 4: While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water as the package directs. Just before you drain it, save about a half a cup of the cooking water.
Step 5: Drop the drained pasta right into the pan with your sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated. If the sauce feels a bit tight, add a splash of the pasta water you saved to loosen it to your liking.
Step 6: Serve it up in bowls with a good sprinkle of fresh parsley on top.
Seriously, You Should Make This Pasta
This dish has become such a staple for me. It delivers so much flavor from such a short list of ingredients, which is always a win in my book. The rich, savory sauce from the onions is just so good. If you decide to give this Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta a go, I’d love to know what you think. Let me know in the comments how it turned out for you!
Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta
The most satisfying Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta! Sweet jammy onions and a luscious vegan cream sauce make this dish pure comfort in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 2 big yellow onions thinly sliced
- a couple tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- half a cup of veggie broth
- A cup of plant-based cream, like oat or cashew.
- A quarter cup of nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
- 12 oz orecchiette pasta
- some fresh parsley chopped up
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a big pan over medium-low heat, then add the onions and let them cook slowly, stirring every now and then for about 30-40 minutes. They should turn a deep golden color and taste really good.
- throw the minced garlic in with the onions and stir for a minute
- Pour in the veggie broth and cream, scraping up any brown bits from the pan, then stir in the nutritional yeast and thyme, season it, and let it simmer on low for a few minutes.
- while thats simmering boil the pasta save about half a cup of the pasta water before you drain it
- Add the drained pasta straight into the sauce and mix everything together. If the sauce is a bit too thick, just add a little of the pasta water you saved.
Notes
- The key to cooking onions is to cook them slowly over low heat; don't rush or they will burn.
- Any kind of short pasta works here, but little orichette cups are awesome for holding the sauce.
- Leftovers are awesome the next day, just add a splash of water when reheating.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 450Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 69mgSodium 155mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 7gSugar 6gProtein 15g