This creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta is a delicious and simple dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, as well as a fancy dinner party. The sweetness of the caramelized onions pairs perfectly with the richness of the homemade cashew cream, creating a magical combination of flavors and textures. This recipe is easy to make, yet sure to impress!
I just love simple recipes that look fancy, and this Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta is definitely worthy to be in this collection. It is a simple yet elegant dish that is perfect for a cozy night in or for entertaining guests.
The sweet, tender caramelized onions and rich, creamy cashew sauce, together with the fancy-looking pasta are a match made in heaven.
About the pasta: Mafaldine pasta is also known as “reginette” or “frilled pasta” because of its ruffled edges that resemble a queen’s crown or the waves of the sea. The name “mafaldine” is a reference to Princess Mafalda of Savoy. Mafaldine pasta is a long, flat, and wide noodle that is often cut into strips that are about 0.5-1 inch wide. Mafaldine pasta has a slightly rough texture that allows it to hold onto sauces well, which makes it perfect for this creamy pasta dish.
A note on the blender: It’s really easy to make cashew cream in a small blender (like a NutriBullet or Ninja). If your blender’s container is bigger, you might have to double or triple the cashew cream ingredients for it to work properly and to be really smooth.
How to make this Caramelized Onion Pasta
As always you will find the whole recipe in the box below but I want to give you an overview of the key ingredients and basic steps with step-by-step photos first.
The ingredients
You will need:
- For the cashew cream (if you don’t want or can’t make your own cashew cream, you can use store-bought unsweetened cashew cream, oat cream or soy cream)
- cashews (I use roasted + salted; add salt to taste if you’re using unsalted cashews)
- lemon juice
- water
- yellow onions
- oil
- salt & pepper
- pasta (I used mafaldine pasta but you can use whatever you like)
- fresh parsley (optional, for a bit of color)
The basic steps
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Cheers, Bianca
Creamy Caramelized Onion Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 1/2 cup cashews salted and roasted
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Caramelized Onions & Pasta
- 3 yellow onions halved and sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cracked pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 pound pasta I used Mafaldine pasta
Instructions
- For the cashew cream: Add the cashews, lemon juice, and water into a blender. If you have the time, let it soak (even 10 min would be fine). Then blend until completely smooth.
- Cook sliced onions in a pan over medium to high heat with oil and salt until they’re caramelized. Stir every now and then to keep them from getting too dark. Set aside a few of the caramelized onions for garnishing later.
- Boil the pasta in a large pot with water. Then drain but save the pasta water.
- Add the cashew cream to the caramelized onions. Season with cracked pepper and salt to taste. Add pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce.
- And mix well until the pasta is all coated in the sauce.
- Then you can add the pasta onto plates, top it with the set-aside caramelized onions and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Teri
Monday 22nd of May 2023
I had some butternut squash ravioli that I used this on. I mixed the cashew sauce in with the caramelized onions and put it over the ravioli and it was so good! What a great recipe!