One-Pot French Onion Pasta

One-Pot French Onion Pasta transforms the classic French Onion Soup into a creamy, cheesy pasta dish perfect for busy nights. Each bite is filled with al dente pasta, caramelized onions, melted gruyere, and topped with pangrattato (crispy breadcrumbs) for a crispy textural contrast. This one-pot recipe is simple to make and perfect for a cozy dinner.

This recipe brings together two of our favorites: French onion soup and pasta. We love the combination of rich beef stock, onions, and al dente pasta and know you will too! It's reminiscent of pasta alla genovese with French onion soup flavors, like thyme and bay leaves.

Inspired by the sliced baguette on French onion soup, we top the pasta with optional, but delicious crispy breadcrumbs or enjoy the pasta as is. Either way, you'll love it!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love French Onion Pasta
• Key Ingredients
• Variations
• Substitutions
• How to Make French Onion Soup Pasta
• Recipe FAQs
• Cooking Tips
• Related Recipes
• Did You Like This Recipe?
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Why You'll Love French Onion Pasta

• Taste - The dish tastes just like it sounds. It is rich, creamy, and delicious.
• Texture - The broth is light, the cheese is creamy, and the pasta is al dente.
• Effort - This one pot recipe has just a few steps. You need to caramelize the onions, make the sauce, then cook the pasta and pangrattato at the same time.
• Time - It takes about 1 hour to cook everything.

Key Ingredients

• Vidalia or sweet onions - These onions are sweet without the bite of other onions. They are traditionally used in French onion soup.
• Dry white wine - White wine adds flavor and deglazes the pan.
• Unsalted butter and Flour - Butter and flour together create a roux.
• Beef stock - Beef stock adds a rich earthiness to the sauce.
• Thyme leaves - Thyme leaves add an earthy pepperiness.
• Bay leaves - Bay leaves deepen the flavor of the sauce.
• Short pasta - We like to use a short pasta like rigatoni, conchiglie, or penne because it has more surface area to catch the soupy sauce.
• Gruyere - Gruyere adds rich creaminess.
• Breadcrumbs - For the pangrattato (crispy breadcrumbs), you can use regular breadcrumbs or even panko.
• Herbs - Our favorite herbs for the pangrattato are thyme, parsley, and rosemary.

See recipe card for quantities.

Variations

• Worcestershire sauce - Add a tablespoon or two or worcestershire sauce to the sauce when you add the beef stock for a stronger umami flavor.
• Gluten-free - Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs or omitting the breadcrumbs and using gluten-free pasta.
• Garlic - Add garlic cloves or garlic powder for the quintessential aroma.

Substitutions

• Non-Alcoholic - Instead of white wine, use rice wine vinegar or equal parts white wine vinegar and water. These substitutes give the sauce the tang that white wine offers without the alcohol. Alternatively, you can use more beef broth, but it will not have the same flavor as white wine or the vinegar substitutes.
• Cheese - Use manchego, mozzarella, white cheddar, provolone, pecorino romano, or parmigiano-reggiano instead of gruyere. You can also use a mix of any of these cheeses.

How to Make French Onion Soup Pasta

• Caramelize onions - In a large lidded pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Once the olive oil is warm, add the thinly sliced onions and stir to coat in the olive oil. Then lower the heat to medium-low and occasionally stir. Cook the onions low and slow with the lid on until they become translucent and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Stir and keep the heat low to keep the onions from burning. If the onions seem dry, you can add another drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Photo 1 and 2)
• Add to sauce - Turn the heat up to medium and deglaze the onions with white wine, then stir. (Photo 3 and 4)

• Continue to build the sauce - When the white wine evaporates, add the butter to the pot. Once the butter melts, stir in the flour to thicken the mixture. (Photo 5 and 6)
• Add liquid - Add the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Then lower the heat to medium-low and cook with the lid on for an additional 10-15 minutes and occasionally stir to allow the mixture to thicken and for the flavors to develop. (Photo 7 and 8)

• Make pangrattato - While the sauce cooks, make the herbed pangrattato. Add olive oil to a skillet and warm over medium-low heat. (Photo 9 and 10)
• Toast breadcrumbs - Once warm, stir in breadcrumbs until coated in olive oil. Allow the breadcrumbs to toast, occasionally stirring to prevent burning. Once the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden brown color, stir in the herbs and season with kosher salt. Then remove from the heat and transfer to a small serving bowl to stop the breadcrumbs from cooking further. (Photo 11 and 12)

• Cook pasta - Return to the sauce and stir the pasta into the mixture so the pasta is thoroughly coated. Allow to cook per the package directions until al dente, likely 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot. (Photo 13)
• Stir in cheese - Once the pasta is al dente, remove from the heat and stir in the gruyere cheese. (Photo 14 and 15)
• Serve - Serve in bowls and top with the pangrattato. Then enjoy immediately. (Photo 16)

Pro tip - Taste a piece of pasta toward the end of the cook time to ensure it’s not too al dente. Since the sauce is thicker than water, it may take a couple of more minutes to cook to become al dente.

Recipe FAQs

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