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A wooden spoon scooping up French Onion Pasta from a skillet.
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French Onion Pasta

This French Onion Pasta recipe has a rich and creamy sauce with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, mushrooms, pancetta, and pasta. You can't beat this gourmet-style dish!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 568kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 cup beef broth
  • ½ cup chicken broth or beef broth. See notes.
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard can sub mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, oregano

Pasta

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 oz. white button mushrooms
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • 4 oz. Pancetta diced
  • 2/3 cup dry white wine see notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 medium yellow onions sliced into ¼-inch strings. (About 15 oz.)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ½ cup gruyere cheese shredded. Can sub mozzarella
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • ¾ pound orecchiette pasta
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning. (Although you can shred/grate the cheese while the onions cook.)
  • Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, this will further enhance their flavor. Add the pancetta and sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Turn the heat off. Add the wine to the same skillet and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce.
  • Add the butter and the sliced onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 35 more minutes. Reduce heat slightly if the onions begin to cook too quickly. Add a splash more olive oil or wine to the skillet if additional moisture is needed.
  • While the onions caramelize, begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Once a boil is reached, stir in salt. (I use ½ tbsp. kosher salt.)
  • Add the garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Add the combined sauce mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, while you cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
  • Reduce the heat of the sauce to low. Gradually sprinkle in the cheese, stirring continuously, until combined.
  • Add the mushrooms and the pancetta and stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta gradually, until your desired sauce-to-pasta ratio is obtained. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Wine: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay are great wine choices for this recipe. Chicken or beef broth can be used if you don't cook with wine.
  • Pasta: Orecchiette is a fun pasta choice for this, but other options include penne, ziti, medium shells, cavatappi, farfalle, and rigatoni.
  • Cheese: Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan and Emmiusa Gruyere.
  • Mozzarella Cheese can be used instead of Gruyere. Use whole milk, low moisture mozzarella. I like using Galbani or  Dragone. 
  • Add the cheese over low heat, a base that's too hot will cause the dairy to separate and create a grainy consistency.
  • Mushrooms: White button mushrooms work well in this, baby portabella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms are great varieties too.
  • Onions: Do your best to slice them all the same size so that they cook evenly.
  • Hot Sauce: This is a flavor enhancer in this recipe and doesn’t make the end result spicy, I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Pancetta: I use Veroni diced Pancetta. Bacon or even finely diced ham can also be used. If you go meatless, consider adding 1/2 bouillon cube to the sauce to replace some of that savory depth of flavor.
  • Broth: It may seem counterintuitive to use chicken and beef broth in this recipe, but it adds a nice depth of flavor. All beef or all chicken broth may also be used.
  • Pasta Water: Always feel free to reserve pasta water as a precaution for creamy sauces. If the sauce becomes thick/clumpy, a small splash of pasta water will smooth it out.
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 268mg | Iron: 2mg