Caramelized Onion Pasta
This creamy caramelized onion pasta blends sweet, slow-cooked onions with Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, egg, and pasta water for a rich, silky sauce—no cream required. It's a cozy, flavor-packed twist on carbonara that comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Ingredients
For the caramelized onions:
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter optional, for extra richness
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar optional, helps speed up caramelization
For the sauce:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/3 –1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Pasta:
- 8 oz pasta fettuccine, or pasta of choice
Instructions
Caramelize the onions
- Heat olive oil and butter (if using) in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add sliced onions and salt. Stir to coat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft, jammy, and deep golden brown. This can take 35–45 minutes. Add sugar to help the process, and a splash of water if the onions dry out.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
Make the sauce
- Add the caramelized onions to a blender or food processor along with the olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup pasta water until you get a pourable consistency. Add more if needed.
Toss and serve
- Immediately toss the hot drained pasta with the warm blended sauce. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the egg and melt the cheese, creating a glossy, rich coating.
- Adjust with extra pasta water as needed to loosen.
- Finish with extra black pepper, Parmesan, or a drizzle of olive oil.