French Onion Pasta

Name: French Onion Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 large onions (diced); 3 tbsp butter; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 8 oz mushrooms (sliced); ¼ cup white wine; ½ cup beef broth; ½ cup heavy cream; 1 cup Gruyère cheese (shredded); 1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded); 1 lb rigatoni pasta; salt (to taste, as needed); black pepper (to taste, as needed)

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Craving warm, cozy flavors? This ultra divine pasta dish that combined some beloved elements of the classic French onion soup with pasta. Introducing French Onion Pasta…I think you will love this one!

My French onion pasta recipe features rigatoni pasta recipe tossed with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and creamy melted Gruyère and Swiss cheese. You can expect lots of bold flavors and cheesy goodness from this!

Lifting up cheesy French onion rigatoni pasta from a large bowl

Table of Contents

French Onion Soup Pasta

French onion soup has such a unique flavor. It is is one of my favorite soups and I cannot get enough of its unique, bold and beautiful flavors.

After sharing this French Onion Mac and Cheese recipe, I had the idea of creating pasta dish that is inspired by French Onion soup, and this French onion pasta is birthed!

Caramelized onions is a key ingredient that ignites the depth of flavors in our French onion pasta. It is slightly sweet and savory, and has such a lovely flavor profile.

It pairs perfectly with mushrooms, Gruyere and Swiss cheese, three notable ingredients that make up the deliciousness that is French onion soup. Its umami flavors mingle seamlessly with the savory notes.

We make the cheesy caramelized onion sauce in a large skillet, and toss the pasta in once its done cooking. Which means easy cleanup and everything cooks in under 40 minutes.

French onion pasta is delicious, easy to make, and makes great leftovers. I can’t wait for you to try this!

Kitchen Tools

Here are a few kitchen equipment and appliances round up to make your cooking experience easier:

Large skillet or sauté pan with a lid: A wide, deep skillet that is at least 12-inch in diameter allows for better caramelization of onions and will give you enough space for tossing the pasta.
Large pot: You’ll need a large enough pot to boil pasta. I typically bring my largest pot! We are using a whole pound of pasta for this French onion pasta recipe!

Top down view of a large skillet of French onion pasta tossed with mushroom and cheese

Ingredients

To make this French onion soup pasta, you will need the following ingredients:

onions – duh! This is French onion pasta after all. 😉 I typically use sweet onions but white or yellow onions work as well.
butter – use unsalted butter so that you can control the level of salt in this creamy caramelized onion sauce. Of all the fat options (cooking oil, vegetable oil, olive oil etc), I prefer the flavor of butter for this French onion pasta.
white wine – this brings incredible depth of flavor, similar to the key notes of a French onion soup. Use dryer white wine such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
beef broth – another main ingredient in French onion soup.
garlic – always a must for the best flavor! I highly recommend using fresh over garlic powder for optimal flavor. Mince whole cloves of garlic to release maximum flavor.
mushrooms – add substance and that umami flavors to round out this pasta dish. You can use white button mushrooms, baby Bella mushrooms or any other you have on hand.
heavy cream – this is the rich base of our sauce that brings creaminess to it. For a lower fat option, use half and half. Although note that this is not a thick creamy sauce but more of a cheesy sauce.
gruyère and Swiss cheese – the two signature cheeses in French onion dishes. You can technically use one and omit the other, but I love the combination of both of these cheeses together.
rigatoni pasta – you can use other shape of pasta but rigatoni or any short pasta is my favorite for this French onion pasta.

How to Make It

Cooking up this creamy French onion soup pasta is easier than it looks. Caramelizing the onions does require a bit of patience….but trust me, it will all be worth it!

Caramelizing Onions

The first thing we’ll want to do is to caramelize the onions because it takes a little while for them to create that rich, caramelized flavor.

Melt butter in a deep, large skillet, then add diced onion. Cook the onions on medium low heat/ low heat until they turn brown and softened. Don’t rush this process and burn the onions!

Add salt to onions, then add garlic and sliced mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are softened.

Sauteing raw mushrooms until they are softened

Pour the white wine into pan and using a spatula deglaze the pan by scrubbing any browned bits mix. These lovely browned bits are loaded with flavor and will enhance our French onion pasta!

Once the white wine reduces and has been absorbed into the onions and mushrooms (about 3-4 minute of cooking time), slowly pour in heavy cream, beef broth and gently mix.

Adding white wine to a skillet of sauteed mushrooms, then adding beef broth and heavy cream into the skillet

The creamy caramelized onion sauce will thicken slightly, but it won’t be super thick and creamy.

You’ll want to lower the heat to low (and even remove it from heat if needed) before adding the shredded cheese into the sauce so the cheese doesn’t burn.

Adding shredded cheese to a french onion cream mixture

Once shredded cheese are fully melted into the sauce, remove skillet from heat immediately, and give it one last stir to combine.

When sauce is done, it will be cheesy, but not overly creamy.

Taste the sauce and add salt and black pepper to taste if you like.

Cook Rigatoni Pasta

As the onions are caramelizing, bring a pot of water to boil, and cook rigatoni pasta according to package instructions.

Drain boiled pasta and set it aside.

Assembly

When creamy caramelized onion sauce is done, add pasta to the sauce.

Gently toss to combine.

Pasta should be coated in the cheese sauce with chunks of caramelized onions and mushrooms in every bite.

Garnish with more cheese if desire.

French onion pasta with mushrooms in skillet topped with cheese

Ah, it makes me want hop in a cozy little comfy spot, curl up in my blanket while soaking up every bite of this delicious bowl of creamy French onion pasta!

Variations and Modifications

Here are a few ways you can modify this French Onion Pasta dish:

Addition of protein: Feel free to add in already cooked and shredded chicken, shrimp, ground beef or ground turkey to increase protein. You’ll want to add it in the sauce together with the boiled pasta.
Cheese substitute: For a different flavor, consider using mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheddar cheese in addition to or instead of the Swiss and Gruyere cheeses.
Wine alternatives: If you’d rather avoid wine,, chicken broth or extra beef broth can also be used.
Make it lighter: Use a lighter non-dairy milk or half and half instead of heavy cream and reduce cheese if you are trying to lower the calorie intake. However, the result will be less creamy and the sauce will be less thin than it already is (the sauce even with heavy cream isn’t super thick because we didn’t use flour to thicken the sauce).
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free pasta, which has higher protein content.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Place French Onion Pasta in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating: When reheating leftovers, add a splash of milk or broth to reach desired creamy consistency before microwaving. Stir halfway through the reheating process to ensure even heating.

A wooden spoon in a large pot of cheesy french onion pasta with mushrooms

Tips and Tricks

Caramelizing onions: Caramelizing onions can be a slow process, but the resulting sweet flavors are worth the wait. Saute onions under low/mesium low heat and use a large enough skillet so the onions can move around freely. Don’t rush this step!
Choosing wine: Use any dry white wine that you wouldn’t mind drinking yourself. It doesn’t have to be expensive wine, but it shouldn’t be bad wine either. Some good dry wine options are: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc.
Properly cooking pasta: Pasta should be cooked to al dante to avoid overcooking. Once pasta is done boiling, drain access water and toss in olive oil to prevent sticking. Do NOT rinse with cold water as that will remove the starch on the pasta thus prevent the sauce from clinging to the pasta properly.
Flavoring the dish: When pasta is done cooking, add salt and black pepper to taste. Salt is a powerful spice to not just add saltiness to but really open up the other flavors in the dish. If your pasta tastes blend, a little salt can go a long way to make it more flavorful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key ingredient in French onion pasta?

The primary (and key!) ingredient in this French-inspired pasta is caramelized onions.
Caramelized onions add a rich, sweet, and savory flavor to the pasta. This process takes about 10-15 minutes. It must be down on low/medium low heat and cannot be rushed. But it’s well worth it to get the most beautiful flavors infused in your French onion pasta.

How so I make the sauce creamier/thicker?

If you want a creamier sauce, add 1-2 tbsp of flour after searing the mushrooms and onions (before adding white wine). You may need to add more heavy cream as well to get it to the consistency of your liking.

How can I use to substitute for white wine?

You can use beef broth or chicken broth. However, the flavor will not be as rich and robust.

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