Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta
When onions are caramelized to perfection and combined with rich and creamy homemade cashew cream, delicious things happen! This caramelized onion pasta is savory, packed with naturally sweet onions, and insanely creamy. It requires just 10 ingredients and around 45 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 2 large onions
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 1 tbsp (14 g) butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
- 4.5 ounces (130 g) dry fettuccine pasta
Cashew Cream
- 3/4 cup (94 g) raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (11 g) nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Slice the onions. Start by peeling the onions. Next, slice them into 1/8-inch thick (3 mm) slices.
- Sauté. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly, until they begin to turn a light golden brown color.
- Season. Add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the sugar, and sauté for another 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and have a deep golden brown color.
- Deglaze. Once the onions are done, deglaze the skillet with 2 tablespoons of water to release any small particles that may be stuck to the skillet. This will help extract even more flavor! Remove the skillet from the heat, keeping the onions inside, and set aside.
- Make the cashew cream. Drain the soaked cashews and transfer to a blender. Add the water, vinegar, salt, and nutritional yeast. Blend on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet with the caramelized onions.
- Combine. Pour in the cashew cream and toss to coat using a pair of tongs or two spatulas. Place the skillet back on the heat and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. If the sauce appears too thick, dilute it with some water.
- Serve. Taste and adjust the saltiness if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil, and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- As with most pasta dishes, this one is best served immediately, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
Do not overcook the pasta.
Since the pasta will simmer in the sauce for another 3-5 minutes, be careful not to overcook it when boiling. Aim for al dente, it will finish cooking perfectly in the pan.Slice your onions thinly and evenly.
Try to slice your onions to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3 mm). Thicker slices will take longer to caramelize, while thinner ones can burn too quickly.Don't burn the onions.
Keep a close eye on the onions during cooking, as they can burn very fast. If they start browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. Slow and steady is key here. Also, resist the urge to stir too often - every 3-5 minutes is fine. Let the onions stick a bit to the pan to develop a beautiful caramelization.Reserve the pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water to use later if you want to thin out the sauce. Pasta water works better than regular water because it's already salted and contains starches that allow the sauce to coat the pasta better.Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 693 kcal | Carbohydrates: 76.5 g | Protein: 20.4 g | Fat: 34.4 g | Saturated Fat: 8.1 g | Sodium: 639 mg | Potassium: 429 mg | Fiber: 7.4 g | Sugar: 8.5 g | Calcium: 45 mg | Iron: 2 mg
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