Pappardelle with Braised Onion Sauce

Buttery egg noodles tossed with lots of sweet caramelized onions

This dish brings together two of my favorite things, caramelized onions and buttery pasta, to form a dish that is even better than the sum of its parts. The recipe (adapted from James Beard) calls for cooking a pound of onions low and slow in a stick of butter until they are jammy and sweet, then adding a little booze, parmesan, and wide pappardelle egg noodles. It's not the most low-calorie meal out there, but I love that I have all the ingredients on hand already. The flavor of the pasta builds with every bite and makes a lovely dinner alongside a light green salad. It's easy and cheap to make, but it feels luxurious and makes a nice treat for guests or for yourself.


More Pasta Recipes with Few Ingredients:
- Pappardelle with Truffle Cream Sauce
- Spaghetti with Asparagus & Poached Egg
- Short Rib Pappardelle with Butter & Parsley


Pappardelle with Braised Onion Sauce:

• Melt 1 stick (8 tbsp.) salted butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced, and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
• Stir in 3/4 tbsp. sugar and a large pinch of salt and lower the heat to low.
• Cook the onions, stirring often, for an hour, or until soft, dark, and caramelized. Don't rush this process.
• When the onions are nearly done, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook 9 oz. pappardelle pasta until al dente.
• Meanwhile, add 1/4 c. dry marsala wine to the onions and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 c. pasta cooking water.
• Add the pasta and the water to the onions, along with 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese.
• Toss for 1-2 minutes, or until everything is combined.
• Divide the pasta onto plates and sprinkle with a little more parmesan and flaky salt.

Serves two-three