Caramelized Onion Cream Pasta (Printable Format)
Silky fettuccine with sweet caramelized onions and velvety parmesan cream sauce
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz fettuccine or spaghetti
→ Caramelized Onions
02 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Cream Sauce
07 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
08 - 1/4 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
13 - Kosher salt, to taste
→ Garnish
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
15 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and season with the sugar and salt, tossing to coat evenly.
03 - Continue cooking the onions for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until they turn a rich golden brown and become deeply caramelized. If the onions begin to stick to the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze and continue cooking.
04 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant and softened.
05 - Reduce the heat to low and pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt to taste.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat every strand. Add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce reaches a silky, creamy consistency that clings to the noodles.
07 - Transfer to warm serving bowls immediately. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese. Serve right away while hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The onions cook down into something that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, even though most of it is hands off patience.
- That cream sauce clings to every single strand of pasta in a way that makes you want to lick the bowl clean.
02 -
- Rushing the onions is the single biggest mistake you can make here, because undercooked onions will taste sharp and watery instead of sweet and jammy.
- Adding the pasta water is not optional, because the starch emulsifies the cream and cheese into a sauce that actually sticks rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
- Slice your onions as evenly as possible because uniform slices caramelize at the same rate and you avoid the mix of burnt and raw pieces.
- A splash of white wine added right after the onions finish caramelizing, before the cream goes in, adds a layer of acidity that makes the whole dish taste more complex and balanced.