Caramelized Onion Pasta
Serves 4-6 people
October marks both National Pasta Month and Italian American Heritage Month. To celebrate, this week's Sunday Supper features a recipe for Caramelized Onion Pasta. We love pasta because it is a versatile, healthy and affordable food that brings people together. This dish has a rich, savory-sweet flavor and an appealing creamy texture. But here's the twist: this sauce doesn't rely on cream to make it dreamy. The onions and sundried tomatoes are blended with pasta water to make a silky sauce without the need for dairy. The recipe, along with the beautiful photos and video, are provided by Kate Gilbert, who runs FinaMill's social media and is also an accomplished cook. Don't miss the bonus Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette recipe at the end. Mangia! (Italian for "Eat up!")
Ingredients:
- 6-9 strips bacon, cut into smaller pieces
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 10 oz sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (about 1 cup chopped) Note: reserve the oil to use in a vinaigrette. See bottom of recipe.
- 1/2 Tablespoon dried rosemary (Ground in a FinaMill Dried Herbs+ Pod)
- 1 lb pasta (pappardelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni work well)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt (Ground in a FinaMill Everyday Pod) to taste
- Black pepper (Ground in a FinaMill Pepper Pod) to taste
Instructions:
Step 1: Caramelize the Onions
- Cook the bacon: In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until crispy. Remove and set aside. Pour out excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan along with any browned bits.
- Start the pasta water: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Caramelize the onions: Add the butter and sliced onions to the skillet over medium heat. Stir to coat evenly and cook slowly for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized. If they start to burn, reduce heat to medium-low. If they aren't taking on color, raise the heat.
- Add aromatics: In the last 5 minutes of cooking the onions, add the vinegar, white wine, sundried tomatoes, and rosemary. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and let simmer for 2 minutes.
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta cooking water before draining.
- Blend the sauce (optional): For a creamier texture, remove half of the onion and sundried tomato mixture and blend until smooth, adding pasta water as needed to create a sauce consistency.
- Combine everything: Add the drained pasta and cooked bacon back to the pan with the onion mixture and blended sauce if using. Add Parmesan cheese and toss well, adding pasta water a little at a time as needed to create a silky sauce that coats the pasta. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve: Top with more parmesan cheese.
Bonus recipe: Super Easy Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
You can make a vinaigrette right in the jar that your sundried tomatoes came in! A 10 oz jar of sundried tomatoes should leave you with about a 1/2 cup of oil. It's fine to include any seasonings that were with the tomatoes, but remove any large, dried bay leaves. Add an equal amount of vinegar (a white wine vinegar will allow the taste of the tomatoes to shine, but balsamic is also good). Using your FinaMill, grind salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs right into the jar. Add up to 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup or honey and a dollop of Dijon mustard. Shake well and serve it over your favorite salad greens to accompany your pasta dinner.
