Caramelized Onion Pasta

nibbleboard.com/recipes/caramelized-onion-pasta

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until the butter melts and starts to foam.
2. Add sliced onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Toss to coat, then spread onions evenly in the pot. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until onions are deeply golden brown and jammy, about 30-35 minutes. Lower heat if they start to darken too quickly, and add a splash of water if anything sticks to the bottom.
3. Add chopped garlic to the caramelized onions and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. While onions caramelize, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook linguine, stirring occasionally, until very al dente — about 2 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water before draining.
5. Add drained pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta water to the onion mixture. Toss with tongs over medium heat to combine.
6. Add Parmesan in small handfuls, tossing and stirring after each addition until melted and the sauce is glossy and clings to the pasta. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce tightens up.
7. Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon, add the parsley, and season generously with black pepper. Toss once more.
8. Divide among shallow bowls and top with extra Parmesan and pepper.

Nutrition per Serving

Chef Tips

• Don't rush the onions. I've tried cranking the heat and it just leads to burned edges with a raw center. Low and slow is the whole point — 30 minutes minimum, and they only get better at 40.
• Save more pasta water than you think you need. I always scoop out 2 full cups. The starch is what makes the sauce silky instead of dry and clumpy.
• Add the Parmesan in small handfuls, not all at once — dumping it in makes it clump into a gluey ball instead of melting into a smooth sauce.
• The lemon juice at the end isn't optional. Without it, the dish tastes flat. Just half a lemon brightens the whole thing.
• Make the caramelized onions up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently before tossing with pasta.

Storage

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb sauce as it sits — add a splash of water when reheating.