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This One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Think French onion soup, with the addition of pasta, a creamy sauce, and melty Gruyere cheese. The secret to this one-pot pasta is a little bit of wine, to keep those classic French onion soup flavors we love so much. This pasta dish is great any night of the week but is also perfect for your next dinner party. Every last bite is delicious…everyone LOVES a GOOD cheesy baked pasta…especially when caramelized onions are involved. This dish will be your new go-to when serving family and friends over the holidays…and other times throughout the year too.
It’s that time of year when all I want to be cooking, eating, and sharing with you is comfort food recipes. As I type this, I’m looking out my NYC window to freezing cold rain. The question I keep asking myself is, when will the rain turn to snow? I’m channeling my mom and little sister (snow dance please!) and putting out the positive thoughts for snow. Because what’s more magical than a snowy NYC in December? It’s going to happen. I will document it for you all.
Regardless of rain or snow, December days call for only the best comfort foods and easy dishes that we can feed our friends and family. When I return home from New York, I’ll only have a week or so until the bulk of my family members start arriving for the Christmas holiday. With that in mind, I’ve been working to come up with some creative recipes to feed everyone this year. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my many years of serving large groups, it’s that pasta dishes are key.
Most everyone enjoys pasta and what I love about a baked pasta is that I can prepare everything in advance if need be. This pasta is extra special though…if you love French onion soup, you will absolutely love this pasta bake. It has all the rich flavors you get in a bowl of steaming French onion soup. But made better with the addition of pasta and a touch more cheese. You simply cannot go wrong.
Here are the details.
Start with the onions. They need to be deeply caramelized, just as you do when making French onion soup. My secret to the best caramelized onions? Butter, a touch of honey, and in today’s case…dry red wine.
The butter is used for obvious reasons…fat, flavor, and deliciousness. The honey helps to cook and caramelize the onions faster. I always find these ingredients to be key when trying to achieve the perfect caramelized onions.
Now, the wine. Use a dry red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty traditional in most French onion soups, so I wanted to carry those flavors over into this pasta. You’ll cook about half of the wine into the onions. This not only helps the onions to caramelize quickly and evenly, it also infuses the onions with incredibly rich flavor.
If you prefer not to cook with wine, I recommend using about half a cup of pomegranate or cranberry juice when caramelizing the onions. For the remaining amount of wine called for (another half cup), use chicken or vegetable broth.
Once the onions have deeply caramelized, add mushrooms, garlic, and fresh thyme. Cook all together until the mushrooms have caramelized. Add the broth and dry pasta right into the pot. I know it may seem odd, but trust me, it works. Just bring the mix to a boil and cook until the pasta is al dente. Cooking the pasta together with the sauce only takes a few minutes and saves you from having to break out another pot. It’s my secret to keeping pasta recipes simple and easy.
When the pasta has cooked, add the cream and a little cheese. Transfer everything to the oven and bake until the cheese on top is melty and golden and everything looks and smells delicious.
The best thing about one pot recipes?
Everything starts in one pot, and ENDS in the very same pot. YES. Dishes be gone!! Granted, I tend to transfer my dishes to a baking dish for a prettier look, but if using an oven safe pot, you can bake this right in the very same pot you started with.
One and done and so easy. It’s just what’s needed this time of year, easy dinners that are incredibly delicious.
Serve this with…
Since this is such a hearty pasta, I love serving this with a bright salad. This pretty salad is always my favorite (I leave the chickpeas off when serving this as a side salad).
Of course, you can also add some bread, which is never a bad idea in our house.
With that, you’ll have a complete dinner that will be great any night of the week. My recommendation? Serve this up on the next super cold night when you’re craving a steaming bowl of soup…but also a plate of mac and cheese. This pasta is soup and mac and cheese in one. It’s creamy, cheesy, and swirled with caramelized onions. So…it’s insanely GOOD!
If you make this One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how to video:
One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake.
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 515 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 cups cremini or wild mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (use vegetable broth, if vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use soy sauce, if vegetarian)
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 1 pound of your favorite short cut pasta
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper using more or less to your taste
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whole milk, or canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (optional)
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Melt the butter, onions, and honey together in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. At this point, you want to slowly add 1/2 cup of the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 8-10 minutes until you've used the 1/2 cup of wine and the onions are deeply caramelized. 2. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine, the broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente and the broth has been absorbed, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, cream, gorgonzola, if using, and 1/2 cup gruyere cheese. Remove from the heat.3. If needed, transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese.4. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
I’ve made this a couple times and it is so delish! I use beef broth instead of chicken for a stronger flavor, though. It’s always such a hit & is extremely comforting on a winter day.
Hey Bethany,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Outstanding! Made for a holiday potluck and was gone! I used gf pasta (half red lentil pasta and half green pea pasta), no one knew it was gf. Already have requests to make again next year.
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Delicious, and easy to make! We used gluten-free pasta and it turned out perfectly. The recipe also confirms my theory that including wine and cheese as ingredients makes everything great! 😄
Hey Louis,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
Tieghan!!! This was delicious!!! Loved it and will make again. Thanks
Hey Lori,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Wow. What did I do wrong. I’m looking over the recipe and followed it exactly but without the mushrooms. Very disappointing. Very little sauce although what little I had was tasty. I’m sorry this one didn’t turn out so well as I love your recipes.
Hey Linda,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, was there anything specific I could help you with? Again, sorry for the trouble! xx
Do you think this would work with gluten free pasta?
Hey Robin,
Yes, gluten free pasta would work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I made this tonight for family added some shredded chicken (because my husband insisted on protein). Followed everything else in the recipe, this was so good. I will definitely make again.
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🎁🎅
Made this tonight and it’s definitely a keeper! Delicious! Lot of great flavours the caramelized onions are amazing ‘‘em bits if crispy melted cheese on top can’t be beat!
Hey Jill,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🎁🎅
This recipe sounds wonderful! Can it be assembled ahead of time, refrigerated, and the baked?
Hey Judith,
You bet, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xx
As usual your recipes do not disappoint. This is absolutely delicious!
Hey Cassie,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Definitely a crowd pleaser! the sweet taste of onions and red wine make up for the best cosy pasta dish on a winter night. I’ve made this so many times and I always receive so many compliments, I also sometimes would have it straight away instead of baking it with the cheese on top and in my opinion makes it even more heart-warming. Thank you for sharing it!
Hey Noemi,
Awesome!! 🍂 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Hi! What can I use as a sub for the wine?
Hey Annie,
You can use broth for the wine, that will work well for you! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Delicious. I converted this to the pressure cooker because I’m that person now 😉 The onions took a bit longer to caramelize but increasing the broth to 4 cups, adding 1/2 cup of water, and cooking on high for 4 minutes made for perfectly cooked noodles and a silky sauce. I didn’t save time by any means but it’s always nice not steaming my kitchen up till that one quick shot at the end. Don’t skip the cayenne or the Gorgonzola. They make the dish pop!
A perfect meal for a chilly and dark night in the PNW.
Hey Kathleen,
Fantastic!! I love that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
I absolutely loved this recipe, my husband and baby are the most pickiest eaters and they devoured every bite. You’re such an authentic cook. You won my heart through my belly 💗 Keep being you. This recipe is the first one and I’m sure I will love the rest !
Hi Chloe,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🎁🎅
Made this last night, it was absolutely the least pasta bake I have made.
Best pasta bake
Hey Tony,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Haven’t made this yet but I am thinking it could be a nice Steak side dish. Any thoughts on how to convert it to use potatoes in place of the pasta? It sounds delish!!
Hi Elizabeth,
So sorry, I’ve not tried this recipe with potatoes. Here are some recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/french-onion-potato-soup/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crispy-cheesy-potatoes-stacks/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cheesy-hasselback-potato-au-gratin/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Thank you for your reply! I will make it once as is and then see if I have Ideas on how to adapt it. I will let you know if I come up with a good sub!