Caramelized Onion Pasta with Mushrooms

This saucy French onion soup-inspired pasta features caramelized onions, mushrooms, and white wine.

Although I don’t do it as often as I should, I love to cook from other people’s cookbooks. Most of my home meals (i.e. things I’m not testing or photographing for publication) tend to be simple and improvised, using whatever odds and ends I have in the fridge. But on the off chance I decide to make another cook’s recipe exactly as it’s written, I am always pleasantly surprised.

It’s fascinating to examine how other people decide to pair ingredients or describe certain steps. I almost feel as if I am in their kitchen, creating the smells and tastes they intended, my hands a proxy for theirs.

Géraldine Leverd was kind enough to send me her debut cookbook, The New French Kitchen, and when I opened to the caramelized onion pasta page, I decided to make it ASAP. As a lover of caramelized onions (see: caramelized onion crostini, galette) and French onion soup, the saucy pasta had my name written all over it. It tasted as fabulous as it looked, and after making a couple of tweaks, I knew I’d have to share it with you.

Quick Recipe Summary

• What: An elegant vegan pasta dish inspired by French onion soup.
• Why You’ll Love It: A hearty, cold weather dish with complex, savory flavors thanks to caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, white wine, and lots of black pepper.
• How: Sauté cremini mushrooms, then remove them from the pan. In the same pan, caramelize onions, then simmer them with balsamic vinegar, white wine, and broth. Lastly, combine with hot cooked pasta and a bit of starchy pasta water.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Mushrooms: Basic cremini mushrooms work well here. Make your life easier and buy the pre-sliced version.
• Onions: You’ll need 2 medium yellow ones.
• Balsamic Vinegar: The acidity complements the onions’ sweetness.
• White Wine: Lends a funky taste to the sauce that gives it that French onion soup vibe.
• Flour: Thickens the dairy-free sauce to help it adhere to the pasta.
• Broth: Use vegetable or mushroom broth, or Better Than Bouillon diluted in water.
• Pasta: Feel free to use whatever short shape you like, be it mezzi rigatoni [shown here], shells, orecchiette, casarecce, etc.
• Panko Breadcrumbs: Garnishing the pasta with crunchy toasted panko gives the dish a satisfying layer of texture.

How to Make Caramelized Onion Pasta (Step-by-Step Photos)

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Sauté the Mushrooms

Cook the mushrooms until golden, then remove from the pan.

Step 2: Caramelize the Onions

First, cook the onions covered with a lid – this traps moisture in the pan and facilitates the softening of the onions. Then remove the lid and continue cooking until the onions are caramel-colored and pasty.

Note: These onions need less sautéing time than classic caramelized onions because they continue cooking in the sauce later.

Step 3: Toast the Breadcrumbs

Meanwhile, cook the panko with olive oil and salt in a separate skillet until it’s nicely toasted.

Step 4: Finish the Sauce

Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar, then stir in flour. Then add the wine and broth, and simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.

Step 5: Add the Pasta

Boil pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve some of the cloudy pasta water, then drain the pasta. Immediately add the hot pasta to the skillet, along with the reserved water and mushrooms, and cook until the pasta is al dente.

Step 6: Serve the Pasta

Divide among bowls, sprinkle with panko, and serve immediately.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes to Try

• Lemon Zucchini Pasta
• White Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna
• Garlic Miso Pasta
• Spinach Pesto Pasta

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

The Full Recipe