Place Pasta for French Onion Soup in a Bowl

It’s awfully hard to resist the caramelization, sweetness, and deep umami flavor of a steaming bowl of French onion soup, so I’m happy to say I’ve taken all the good parts of an incredible classic soup and turned it into pasta. But I’m also sorry because you’re going to have to drop everything and do it right now.

Fortunately, this is not that difficult to do. The only thing required is a little patience when caramelizing the onions, but it’s a passive activity where you might be hanging around the kitchen, talking on the phone, or watching cat videos. I will say that the slow caramelization of the onions is worth the strong, piercing flavor it will reward you with later.

How to prepare pasta for French onion soup?

1. Prepare the sauce

Just like the soup stock, the sauce is the most important part of this pasta dish. Let’s start by chopping the sweet onion. I usually cut a peeled onion in half, from the top to the tail, then place the half-sphere on its flat side and slice thinly from the top to the tail. Then I get long slices that are about the same length.

Place the onions in a large saucepan with a tablespoon of butter and a little salt. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and covering when not doing so. The onions will lose water and turn dark golden brown.

Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and a couple of tablespoons of white wine to the pan to reduce the flavor. (This is a fancy term for “crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.”) They will evaporate in about a minute. If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute broth. Add another tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add a tablespoon of flour and stir for about a minute to form a sauce with onions. This will thicken your sauce and give each noodle bite a velvety smooth, savory coating.

Slowly add the warm beef broth (I usually just microwave it for a minute), stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. If you prefer an even thinner sauce, add a couple more tablespoons of broth.

2. Stir in pasta

I used spaghetti, but any long pasta will work. Try linguine, angel hair, fettuccine, bucatini, or my favorite, spaghetti rigati. Boil water and cook pasta as usual. I started boiling the water about 20 minutes after the onions started caramelizing. Once I started stirring the broth into the onion mixture, I tossed the pasta into the pot of boiling water.

Once the sauce is ready and the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and toss it into the onion sauce. Add a handful of grated Gruyere cheese and stir. Divide it among serving plates.

3. Prepare the croutons

Let’s be honest: No one would enjoy French onion soup without cheese bread on top. So, we have cheese-bread-float. Toast a couple of slices of French bread. I like to cut it about half an inch thick and at an angle. A simple light toast in the toaster will do. The goal is to get the whole slice crispy so you can just melt the cheese quickly. Place the toast on a baking sheet and sprinkle with grated Gruyere cheese. Really cover it up. Bonus points if a ton of cheese spills onto the baking sheet; people will fight over this crispy frico. Place the sheet in the oven until you are ready to toast it, just a few minutes before adding the pasta.

Fry the croutons for about two to three minutes or until they are completely melted and bubbly. (Keep an eye on this. The time will vary depending on how close the toast is to the heating element.) Let it cool slightly and use a spatula to lift it from the pan. Top each bowl of macaroni with cheese crouton.

This recipe makes enough for two modest bowls of rich, creamy French onion soup macaroni or one huge bowl of the comfort you absolutely deserve.

French Onion Soup Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped sweet onion

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons white wine (substitute broth if desired)

• 1 tablespoon flour

• ½ cup beef broth, warmed

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 4 hammers black pepper

• ½ cup grated or shredded Gruyere cheese + more for croutons

• 4 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained

• 2 slices French bread

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add one tablespoon butter, salt and all the diced onions. Fry and stir to coat the onions with oil. Cover the pan with a lid and let the onions simmer, fully covered, for about five minutes.

2. Open the onion. Stir them again and reduce the heat to medium. Continue stirring occasionally, keeping the pan slightly ajar between stirrings to ensure they cook evenly. This takes from 35 to 45 minutes. Let the onions caramelize slowly; if you rush, they may burn.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the croutons. Lightly toast the French bread any way you like; I use a toaster. Place toasted bread on a baking sheet and cover generously with grated Gruyère. Just before serving, toast the toast for two to three minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.

4. Add the thyme and wine (or the same amount of broth) to the pan with the onions. Stir to deglaze the pan. When most of it has evaporated, add another tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add flour and stir for a minute or two to form a sauce. Slowly add broth, stirring to form a slightly thick sauce. Add black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

5. Remove thyme stems from sauce and discard. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pot with the onion sauce. Add Gruyère and stir thoroughly. Place pasta in a bowl and top with French bread cheese croutons. Garnish with grated cheese or fresh thyme if desired. Serve warm.

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