This one pot French onion pasta turns all the deep, savoury flavour of French onion soup into a cosy pasta you’ll be craving by dinner time. There’s not much to it, just the slow caramelised onions, thyme and a splash of white wine, but it tastes so good! And unlike most French onion pasta recipes, this one’s completely dairy free.
I absolutely love a one pot pasta, especially on a cool winter night. Something amazing happens when you cook the pasta directly in the sauce as all the starch is released, creating a super creamy sauce that clings to every piece. It’s the ultimate when it comes to creating a dairy free pasta.
This french onion pasta is deeply savoury and so cosy. You won’t believe how much flavour it has from so few ingredients.
Versions of this pasta have been trendy on social media lately, and I first saw it after watching a TikTok by creator Ashley Paige. It sounded so cosy and delicious that I knew I had to make it.
Her recipe wasn’t dairy free, so I tested a few versions to make sure I was getting maximum flavour, which felt extra important for a dairy free version with no cheese melting into the sauce.
The secret, unsurprisingly, is caramelising the onions properly. It can be a bit of a test in patience, but if you take the time to get them deeply golden, the flavour of this pasta is insane. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Key Ingredients
This caramelised onion pasta uses just a handful of everyday ingredients, making it a great one to use up extra onions when there isn’t much else in the pantry.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – for caramelising the onions and adding richness to the sauce.
- Brown onions – or you might call them yellow onions. The main ingredient in this pasta. They will reduce quite a lot as they caramelise so use either 2 large onions or 3 smaller ones.
- Garlic and fresh thyme – for that classic French onion flavour. You could use dried thyme if that’s all you have, but fresh is going to give a deeper flavour in this recipe.
- Dry white wine – to deglaze the pan and add extra flavour. Use a dry white wine that you like. I usually use Vermentino as that’s what I like to drink but Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris would work really well.
- Beef stock – the savoury base of the sauce. Use a beef-style stock if you need this recipe to be vegetarian.
- Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard – for depth and extra flavour.
- Short pasta – I used mafalde corte, but any short pasta works. The shape affects how much liquid it needs and the cooking time, so adjust as needed.
You’ll Also Love: One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Melt the dairy free butter in a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the sliced onions.
Step 2: Cook the onions for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re deeply golden and caramelised. Don’t rush it, just keep the heat low and be patient (see tip below).
Step 3: Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
Step 4: Stir in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, then add the pasta and give it a good stir.
Step 5: Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. If it dries out before the pasta is cooked, add a splash more stock or water. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 6: Serve topped with dairy free cashew parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
👉 How to caramelise onions
Cut each onion in half, then slice into thin half-moons, but not too thin, as very thin slices tend to burn before they caramelise.
Cook them low and slow over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick, and let them go from translucent to golden to deeply caramelised.
It takes patience, but it’s where all the flavour comes from. There’s more on this in my steak crostini post.
Serving Suggestion: This pasta is delicious as it is, but I’ve also been loving it with a protein on top. My favourite is spicy Italian sausage, cooked and sliced, but chicken or steak would both be delicious too.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. The pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits, so add a splash of water when reheating if you need.
Recipe FAQs
French onion pasta takes everything you love about a classic French onion soup; caramelised onions, fresh thyme, and the rich savoury broth, and turns it into a one pot pasta. It’s cosy, deeply savoury comfort food.
I personally love the additional flavour the wine adds, but if you need it to be alcohol free, just use a little extra stock to deglaze the pan.
A short pasta like mafalde corte is perfect, but any short shape works well. Just keep in mind that different shapes absorb different amounts of liquid, so have a little extra stock ready in case it dries out before the pasta is cooked.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More one pot pasta recpies:
One Pot Beef Mince Pasta
One Pot Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
One Pot Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta
One Pot Ground Beef and Orzo
One Pot French Onion Pasta (Dairy Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 60 grams (¼ cup) dairy free butter
- 2 large brown onions/yellow onions or 3 medium, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 3 ¼ cups beef stock adjust if needed based on the pasta used
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 300 grams short pasta I used mafalde corte
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Dairy free parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Melt the 60 grams dairy free butter in a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Add the sliced 2 large brown onions/yellow onions and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelised.
- Add the 3 cloves garlic and 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the ⅓ cup dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- Stir in the 3 ¼ cups beef stock, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
- Add the 300 grams short pasta and stir well. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. If the liquid reduces too quickly, add extra stock or water as needed.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with Dairy free parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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