Caramelised Onion Garlic Pasta
Sliced onions cooked low and slow until golden and jammy form the base of this one, sweet in a way that only comes from actually giving them the full time they need.
Smoked paprika and garlic powder get bloomed in the fat before the cream goes in, and a spoonful of chilli crisp oil adds heat and crunch without overpowering the onions.
Pasta water pulls it all together into a proper glossy sauce, no cream left pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Caramelised Onion Garlic Pasta
CARAMELISED ONION PASTA · PASTA · DINNER · MEDIUM
Sweet, jammy onions doing the heavy lifting
Giving the onions the full 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat is what turns them sweet and jammy instead of just soft, rushing it with higher heat only makes them bitter.
Blooming the spices in the pan before the cream goes in cooks out that raw edge and lets the flavour actually carry through the sauce.
A hit of chilli crisp oil at the end adds heat and crunch, easy to dial up or down depending on how much you want.
Caramelised Onion Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 14 g Unsalted Butter
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Thinly Sliced
- 6 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 60 ml Dry White Wine Substitute with Stock
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 2 g Dried Italian Herbs
- 250 ml Thickened Cream
- 30 g Chilli Crisp Oil Optional
- 10 ml Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- Parmesan Cheese To Taste
- 300 g Pasta of Choice
- Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and jammy. If they begin to stick, deglaze with a splash of water, stock, or wine.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried Italian herbs, and cook for an additional minute to allow the spices to bloom. Deglaze with the white wine (or stock) and reduce by about half.
- Pour in the cream, then add the chilli crisp oil and soy sauce. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce along with Parmesan and some of the chopped parsley. Toss until the pasta is coated, loosening with splashes of pasta water if needed.
- Season to taste and serve with more Parmesan, the remaining parsley, and extra chilli crisp oil if desired.
Can I speed up caramelising the onions?⌄
Not really, not without losing the sweetness. Turning up the heat browns the outside before the onions break down properly, and you'll end up with bitter edges instead of jammy ones.
What is chilli crisp oil, and can I leave it out?⌄
It's a crunchy, spicy chilli oil condiment, usually found in the Asian foods section. It's optional, the dish still works well without it, just with a bit less heat and texture.
Can I skip the wine?⌄
Yes, stock is already listed as the substitute on the card. You'll lose a touch of acidity, so a small squeeze of lemon at the end helps bring it back.
Why add soy sauce to a creamy pasta sauce?⌄
It's a small umami boost that rounds out the richness of the cream without tasting distinctly Asian in the final dish. Easy to miss if you didn't know it was there.
