If you love classic French onion soup, then this one-pot French onion pasta is about to be your new obsession! This viral pasta recipe takes everything we love about the soup—sweet caramelized onions, rich beef broth, gruyère cheese, and a deep savory flavor—and transforms it into a creamy French onion pasta that’s ridiculously comforting and easy to make.
Why You'll Love It
This French onion pasta recipe is the perfect blend of delicious flavors in an easy one-pot pasta dish.
Cooking the sliced onions low and slow in olive oil and butter gives them a sweet flavor with a deep golden brown color, just like the best part of French onion soup.
The onion mixture gets hit with a splash of dry white wine—think Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc—to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all those browned bits that build deep savory flavor.
Then, we let the pasta cook right in the rich beef broth, soaking up all the goodness.
A touch of heavy cream makes the base of the sauce luxuriously smooth, while gruyère cheese melts into a creamy sauce that clings to every bite.
Want even more indulgence? Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and black pepper on top before serving!
Since it all comes together in a large Dutch oven or large pot, cleanup is a breeze.
Plus, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for next time—though let’s be honest, you probably won’t have any!
Oh, and we couldn't move on without mentioning @CarolBeeCooks who originally shared her version (without gruyere) on social media.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Here are all the ingredients that you'll need to make this delicious french onion pasta. Don't forget that you can get the exact ingredients at the bottom of this post in the printable recipe card.
- Salted Butter: Helps build a rich backbone of flavor when caramelizing the onions.
- Sweet Onion: Both Vidalia (sweet onions) and Yellow onions bring a sweet caramelized onion flavor, but sweet onions work best.
- Olive Oil: Keeps the onions and butter from burning while also adding richness. You could use vegetable oil if you have to.
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh Minced garlic deepens the savory notes. I don't recommend using the jarred variety.
- Thyme: Dried thyme is what I used because i have it on hand more than fresh thyme but they both work. If using fresh, discard thyme sprigs after cooking.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a tangy depth, though sherry vinegar is a great choice if you have some in your pantry.
- Dry White Wine: Deglazes the bottom of the pot and enhances the cooking process. You could swap for broth if you don't do alcohol.
- Rigatoni: This long tubed pasta holds the creamy sauce well, but medium shells, orecchiette pasta, or even bow ties work too! If you're changing the pasta shape, please keep in mind that the amount of liquid listed is made for this hearty pasta. If you change the shape, you will need to adjust the other ingredients.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami richness. Soy sauce or a little bit of anchovy paste could work in a pinch.
- Beef Broth: Or a rich beef stock need to be used for a deep savory flavor. You can also use vegetable broth, vegetable stock or chicken broth if you had to but it won't be as rich. The amount of beef broth will depend on the type of pasta you use so be sure to keep that in mind if you change the pasta shape.
- AOP Gruyère Cheese: This delicious cheese is the key ingredient in my french onion pasta recipel! As someone who worked as a cheesemonger for a few years in NYC, trust me when I say it's a must!! We all know everyone's favorite part of french onion soup is that broiled gruyere cheese crust so it had to make an appearance! You could swap for parmesan or another nutty swiss cheese like comte if you had to but it won't be the same - trust me!
- Heavy Cream: Makes the base of the sauce extra luscious - Yo you could swap it for some ricotta or even half and half if you had to.
How to make it
Here are the detailed full instructions on how to make this creamy french onion pasta. I've simplified it as much as possible so you only have to clean one pot!
CARAMELIZE ONIONS: Melt butter in a large skillet or large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Making sure to scrape up any brown bits, until they reach a deep golden brown color.
ADD GARLIC & THYME: Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
DEGLAZE PAN: Pour in balsamic vinegar and dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to reincorporate them.
COOK PASTA: Add rigatoni, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Stir and bring to a medium-high heat simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
MAKE IT CREAMY: Once the pasta cooks to al dente, stir in the gruyère cheese and heavy cream until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with black pepper and extra liquid if needed.
SERVE & ENJOY: Dish up immediately with Parmesan cheese on top for best results. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When you reheat, add a splash of heavy cream or half and half. This helps the whole thing stays creamy and thick.
What goes with French Onion Pasta?
Here are a few of my favorite easy recipes to serve with this easy cheesy pasta.
- Ground Beef Ricotta Meatballs
- Tuscan Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup
- Garlic Steak Bites Appetizer with Boursin Cheese
- Braised Beef Chuck Short Ribs Recipe (Slow Cooked)
- Crispy Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
If you want more one pot pasta recipes, be sure to check out these tasty pasta recipes!
Recipe
Viral One Pot French Onion Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Salted Butter
- 2 Large Onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 Cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Dry White Wine
- ½ LB Rigatoni (UNCOOKED!)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 32 Oz Beef Broth (or about 4 cups)
- 5.3 Oz Le Gruyère® AOP shredded
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Add butter to a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, olive oil, and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often until soft and starting to brown.
- Add garlic and thyme and cook for 3 more minutes or until the garlic is tender and fragrant.
- Add balsamic vinegar and white wine to deglaze the pan - scraping up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add rigatoni, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth and stir everything together. Carefully submerge the noodles and cook over a medium simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on, occasionally removing it and stirring so the noodles don’t stick to the pot. The liquid should absorb into the uncooked pasta - if it's still watery after this step, leave the lid off and simmer for a few minutes or until it thicks back up.
- Once al dente, add the @emmicheeseusa Gruyère and heavy cream and gently stir until creamy. Taste and season with flaky salt and pepper.
