We Made the Viral One-Pot French Onion Pasta Recipe That Everyone Loves

There always seems to be a trendy one-pot pasta recipe that everyone is talking about. It’s the viral recipe you can’t escape on social media. Over the past few months, a certain One-Pot French Onion Pasta has been popping up on my Instagram and TikTok feeds, and it looked delicious.

One-Pot French Onion Pasta is everywhere. On TikTok, the hashtag #frenchonionpasta has nearly 15 million views. I first saw the recipe in November 2021 on the food blog Wandering Chickpea, and have made it a number of times. But some credit TikTok creator @carolbeecooks with widening its explosive popularity.

What Is One-Pot French Onion Pasta?

It’s a pasta dish that’s made similarly to classic French onion soup, which starts with deeply caramelized onions and includes rich ingredients like mushrooms, thyme and white wine. While typically, you would cook the pasta separately from everything else, in recent years it’s become somewhat trendy to cook pasta in the same pot as your other ingredients, like this One-Pot Spaghetti Dinner recipe. That’s what you’ll do here for this French Onion Pasta.

How to Make One-Pot French Onion Pasta

French Onion Pasta Jason Wilson For Toh

I love this variation of the viral recipe that comes from the food blog Wandering Chickpea. It’s ever-so-slightly more complex with the addition of mushrooms. I also like using orecchiette, which is slightly more delicate than the rigatoni you see in other variations of this recipe (though you can use any short pasta shape you have).

The real make-or-break trick here is to be sure you’re patient and let the onions fully caramelize, which can take up to a half hour. And don’t forget the dash of sherry vinegar at the end—the acidity makes this dish pop!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (plus some for garnish)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 cups water
12 oz dried orecchiette or other short cut pasta
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1: Caramelize the onions

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently until deeply caramelized for about 25-30 minutes.

Step 2: Add in the other tasty ingredients

Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and add the flour. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until thickened.

Step 3: Cook the pasta

Pour in the stock and water. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.

Step 4: Don’t forget a dash of vinegar!

French Onion Pasta Jason Wilson For Toh Overhead

Turn off the heat and stir in the sherry vinegar. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

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