Caramelized Onion Cream Pasta (Printable)
Golden caramelized onions swirled through velvety cream-coated fettuccine create the ultimate comfort bowl.
# What You Need:
→ 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
# How-To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook fettuccine or spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining in a colander.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and sprinkle evenly with sugar and salt to encourage browning.
03 - Stir the onions frequently for 25 to 30 minutes until they turn a rich golden brown and become deeply caramelized. If they begin to stick to the pan, add a small splash of water to deglaze and continue cooking.
04 - Stir the minced garlic into the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and softened.
05 - Reduce 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 until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt to taste.
06 - Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce becomes silky and clings evenly to every strand.
07 - Serve immediately in warm bowls, finished with chopped fresh parsley and an extra shower of grated Parmesan.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The onions take a while but almost everything else comes together in minutes, making the effort feel deceptively easy.
- That golden pile of caramelized onions turns a basic cream sauce into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant with cloth napkins.
02 -
- Do not rush the onions by turning up the heat because you will get bitter charred bits instead of sweet soft ones, and no amount of cream can fix that.
- Reserving the pasta water is not optional since that starchy liquid is the secret to a sauce that actually clings to the noodles instead of pooling sadly at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
- The trick to perfectly caramelized onions is patience and a pan that is wide enough so the onions are not piled too deep, because overcrowding leads to steaming instead of browning.
- Grating your own Parmesan from a block melts into the sauce in a way that pre shredded cheese simply cannot manage because those convenient bags are coated in anti caking agents.