All you need for the insanely delicious Caramelized Onion Pasta are a few onions, some pantry and fridge staples, stale bread, and a good bottle of red wine! The onions are cooked down until sweet and supple, making for an incredible base for pasta sauce. Pair with herby homemade breadcrumbs, and you’ve got a meal that’s easy enough for busy weeknights, yet decadent enough for a fancy dinner party! Either way, this one’s sure to be on rotation!
caramelized onion pasta
If you’re looking to level up your pasta game, then you *need* to make this Caramelized Onion Pasta ASAP! It’s simple, easy, and hits all the flavor points:
✔️Caramelized onions add a luscious sweetness
✔️Red wine adds fullness and richness
✔️Tomato paste and capers pack an umami-bomb of flavor
✔️Homemade herby breadcrumbs bring a perfectly crispy texture to really round out the dish
✔️A pinch of red pepper flakes for just a touch of heat
Savory, sweet, slightly spicy perfection in a bowl, if I do say so myself 😉 Grab a drink and let’s get to making the best Caramelized Onion Pasta!
what goes in caramelized onion pasta?
Onions (obviously), some pantry and fridge staples, a loaf of stale bread, and fresh herbs are all it takes to make this delicious and rich dish! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vegan butter
- Onions
- Good sourdough bread: preferably a day or two old, but it can be fresh, too! Because we’re cooking them over the stovetop, they’ll get crispy regardless.
- Garlic
- Pasta noodles of choice: this is the pasta that I used, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
- Parsley
- Tomato paste
- Capers
- Dry red wine: some wines are filtered with animal products, so make sure it’s vegan friendly. I like to use Barnivore to check for vegan wines!
how to make caramelized onion pasta
While the sauce does take some time to come together, this dish is easy to prepare! Here’s how to make it:
1. caramelize the onions:
Heat the butter and olive oil in non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the onions caramelize, giving them a stir every few minutes and adding a couple of tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan if it gets too dry.
2. make the breadcrumbs:
In a food processor, pulse the sourdough bread, garlic, and parsley until breadcrumbs are formed. Add some olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan. Once the oil is hot, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until they reach a nice golden-brown color. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and toss salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. cook your noods:
Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, drain, but do not rinse.
4. Finish the sauce:
Add the tomato paste to the pan with eh caramelized onions and cook, stirring often, until it’s well combined and turns a deep red. Add the parsley, capers, and red wine. Give it a good stir and cook down the wine until it evaporates. Pour in the reserved pasta water, give it a good stir, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. toss and enjoy!
Transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately and garnish with the homemade breadcrumbs, and parsley and enjoy!
tools you need
more pasta recipes to try
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Pasta
- 20-Minute Garlicky Lemon Pasta
- Skillet Baked Ziti
oodles of noodles
I hope ya’ll love this Caramelized Onion Pasta as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
xo!
- • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- • 3 pounds yellow onions, diced
- • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
- • 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
- • 2 cups good sourdough bread (preferably day-old), cut or torn into pieces
- • 5 cloves garlic
- • 1 pound pasta noodles of choice
- • ¾ cup chopped parsley, divided, plus more for garnish
- • 6 ounces tomato paste
- • ⅓ cup capers, drained and rinsed
- • ½ cup dry red wine
- Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and season with 1 teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Cover and cook until the onions caramelize, 15 to 18 minutes, giving them a stir every few minutes and adding a couple of tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan if it gets too dry.
- Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumbs. In a food processor, pulse the sourdough bread, garlic, and parsley until breadcrumbs are formed.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until they reach a nice golden-brown color, 7 to 10 minutes. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and toss with the remaining salt and pepper and set aside.
- During this time, also cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water, drain, but do not rinse.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring often, until it’s well combined with the onions and turns a deep red, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup of parsley, capers, and red wine. Give it a good stir and cook down the wine until it evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the reserved pasta water, give it a good stir, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately and garnish with the homemade breadcrumbs, and parsley and enjoy!
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