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This French Onion Pasta is tossed with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions coated in a rich, velvety sauce of white wine, gruyere, and heavy cream. Add some roasted chicken to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a full meal.
For more delicious pasta dishes, try my family’s favorites like this Steak Pasta, which combines tender strips of steak with a robust sauce. For a lighter option, this Spinach Pasta is a must-make, and finally, don’t miss my easy Chicken Pasta Bake.
Exploring different ethnic pasta recipes can be an interesting and tasty way to bring global flavors to your dinner table. Whether it’s the bold spices in my Mexican taco pasta or the savory richness of my Mediterranean baked feta pasta, there’s always a new and exciting way to enjoy this versatile dish.
If you’re looking for a simply delicious meal to make your busy life easier but still tasty, this TikTok viral French onion pasta recipe is your answer. Relive the classic soup taste with perfectly tender pasta that soaks up the flavor of the rich, velvety sauce it’s cooked in.
This one-pot meal is loaded with caramelized onions, tender pieces of chicken, hints of thyme, and sauteed mushrooms. It’s finished with a touch of cream and a generous portion of gruyere cheese that just melts into the sauce. Serve it with garlic breadsticks or focaccia and a fresh green salad for a full, satisfying meal.
Why I Love This French Onion Pasta Recipe
- One-pot. You’ll roast the chicken separately, but the rest is all cooked in one pot for easy cleanup!
- Rich Flavor. Think caramelized onions, tender pasta, cheese, and white wine – it’s a deliciously filling bite.
- Creamy goodness. Melty, nutty Gruyere blends with heavy cream to make one irresistible, creamy sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
You can tailor this French Onion Pasta recipe to your taste or use what you have. Adding a splash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce can enhance the dish, and using ground beef instead of chicken is a fantastic substitution that works well with these flavors.
- Chicken thighs are what I use for this recipe, but you could use chicken breasts instead.
- Olive oil is used for the chicken and for the sauce.
- Salt & Black Pepper to season.
- Butter for the onions.
- Yellow Onions are always my go-to, but sweet onions, like Vidalia, are a good alternative.
- Garlic
- Cremini Mushrooms are my choice, but white button mushrooms would also work.
- Fresh thyme sprigs or use dried thyme instead.
- Dry White Wine, or you could use some apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar instead.
- Short pasta like orecchiette, but mezze rigatoni, bow ties, or fusilli would do the trick as well.
- Beef broth is used for authenticity, but you can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Cornstarch & Water to make a slurry.
- Heavy cream
- Freshly grated gruyere cheese will melt into the sauce more smoothly.
How to Make French Onion Pasta
This pasta dish is absolutely amazing. It’s a perfect fusion of my go-to pasta and the rich taste of French onion soup. Sure, caramelizing onions takes a bit of extra effort, but the resulting sweet, deep flavor is totally worth it!
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper and transfer it to the baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Then, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Caramelize the onions. Heat olive oil and melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until caramelized, stirring occasionally.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the wine and stir until it has mostly evaporated.
- Cook the pasta. Stir the pasta and the beef broth into the mushroom mixture and boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the pasta. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Finish it off. Turn off the heat and stir in the chicken, followed by the heavy cream and the gruyere. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Keep the broth near you when caramelizing the onions. Add broth as needed if the pan starts to dry up.
- Be patient and caramelize the onions so they are a deep brown. The flavor will deepen with the color, and it takes some time to get to that.
- Keep stirring the pasta frequently as it cooks, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Use rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own to save some time. Remove the meat from the bone and shred it or chop it up.
- Make it vegetarian, and leave out the chicken in this recipe.
- Add veggies like spinach at the end and let it wilt into the pasta dish. Or add diced, roasted asparagus or another veggie of your choosing.
- Try a different cheese. Gruyere is reminiscent of French onion soup, but you can use freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino.
Serving Suggestions
For an even more delicious dining experience with this French onion pasta, add this La Scala Chopped Salad to the menu. I am a big fan of these Air Fryer Carrots and my Roasted Artichokes – they go great with this rich pasta.
Settle in for a heartwarming meal and introduce this Cream of Zucchini Soup as a starter. This Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup pairs beautifully with any pasta recipe.
Storing Leftovers
Seal the pasta in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
To reheat, transfer the pasta to a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Easy Pasta Dishes
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Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large yellow onions,, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves,, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- ½ cup white wine
- 12 ounces orecchiette pasta,, or use any other short pasta
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh parsley
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Prep. Preheat the oven to degrees 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
- Roast. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest piece reads 165˚F.
- Chop. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
For the Pasta and Sauce
- Caramelize the onions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter over medium until the butter has melted. Add the onions and season with salt. Give everything a good stir, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the onions for 30 to 40 minutes or until very soft and caramelized, stir them occasionally. If you find the pan starts to get dry, stir in a splash of water or beef broth.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and thyme to the pan with the caramelized onions. Turn the heat to medium, and sauté until the mushrooms are nicely browned.
- Deglaze the pan. Add the white wine and stir until it has mostly evaporated.
- Cook the pasta. Stir the pasta and the beef broth into the caramelized onion mixture. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the pasta. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Finish it off. Turn off the heat and stir in the chicken, followed by the heavy cream and the gruyere. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Serve the pasta in bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Chicken: I prefer chicken thighs, but chicken breasts are a good alternative, as is browned ground beef.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms are a good substitute.
- Wine Alternative: Instead of white wine, use apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar.
- Sauce: For a creamier texture, go for freshly grated gruyere cheese. You can also use parmesan cheese.
- Caramelizing Onions: Take your time with cooking the onions to achieve a deep caramelized color.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This was an absolutely baller recipe, we’re going to incorporate into our regular rotation! We make pasta for dinner on even days, so that’s 3 (or up to 4) chances per week to consume this! ❤️
That’s so wonderful to hear! I am very happy everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Such a fantastic meal! I would love to make this!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
French onion is such a great flavor combo especially with pasta
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Oooh. This one looks delicious. I love the delicious pasta with all that French onion flavor. I can’t wait to make it!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂