This one pot French Onion Pasta recipe is perfectly reminiscent of French onion soup – loaded with jammy caramelized onions, with pasta cooked right in the pot in a combination of beef broth and water. Finished with a bit of heavy cream and gruyere cheese, it’s the perfect cozy meal. 

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Ingredients

Most of these ingredients for French onion pasta are identical to French onion soup, and that’s on purpose, I wanted to mirror that delicious rich flavor! It's a creamy and different way to enjoy all the same flavors you love. 

• Pasta: Any short pasta works. I like to use mezze rigatoni (basically shorter rigatoni). 
• Onions: 3 large yellow onions. Likely more than you think because as they caramelize they break down quite a bit.
• Butter and olive oil: Unsalted butter to add flavor, and olive oil so the butter doesn’t burn. 
• Garlic: A few minced cloves of garlic are added towards the end of caramelizing onions to bring more flavor. 
• Thyme: Plenty of fresh thyme balances the decadence of the caramelized onions. 
• Dry white wine: Deglazing with a dry white wine adds a bit of acidity that is much needed in this dish. 
• Worcestershire sauce: For depth of flavor, this brings a hit of salty umami-ness.
  • Soy sauce can work in a pinch if you do not have worcestershire sauce. 
• Beef stock: Low sodium beef stock (or beef broth) is ideal so you can control the salt levels. The pasta gets boiled right in the stock so it’s a perfect homage to the classic French onion soup.
  • You could also use chicken stock (or chicken broth), but you’ll lose out on some of the classic soup flavors. 
• Water: One cup of water in addition to the beef stock. 
• Heavy cream: This gets added at the end to make the dish a little creamy. 
• Gruyère cheese: Grated gruyere is melted in at the end alongside the heavy cream – another homage to the soup recipe (for the soup usually gruyere is toasted on bread and put on top).

Step by step instructions

Overview

• Caramelize the onions
• Add garlic and thyme
• Deglaze with wine 
• Add worcestershire, salt, and pepper
• Add broth water and pasta, simmer until pasta is cooked
• Stir in heavy cream and gruyere

Detailed instructions

1. Caramelize the onions. Heat a large dutch oven or deep large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter with the oil until warmed. Add all the sliced onions. Toss them to coat in the butter and oil. Sauté, stirring rather frequently (every 3ish minutes) for about an hour until they are deep golden brown color and jammy. It’s okay if a little is sticking to the bottom of the pot, but if it is excessive and they are burning, add a little bit more oil or even 1-2 tablespoon water. 

2. Add the garlic and thyme. Once the onions are caramelized, add the minced garlic and chopped thyme. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until very fragrant.

3. Deglaze. Pour the wine in and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon making sure to get up all the brown bits as it simmers and is absorbed / evaporated, about 1-2 minutes. 

4. Add worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Finish the caramelized onions by adding the worcestershire sauce and salt. 

5. Add liquid and cook the pasta. Into the same pot, add the beef broth, water, and dry uncooked pasta. Stir to combine and try to get as much pasta submerged as you can. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring very frequently, until the pasta is al dente and a good amount of the liquid has evaporated – about 8-10 minutes. There will still be a bit of liquid, it’ll continue to thicken as you add the cheese and cream. 

6. Stir in cream and cheese. Remove the pot from the heat and add the heavy cream and shredded gruyere cheese. Mix together until fully incorporated and creamy. 

Tips and tricks

One pot pasta recipes are winners all around, but below notes can provide a bit more detail. 

• The best way to cut onions for caramelizing them:
  • Cut off the stem and root
  • Cut in half top to bottom (in the direction of stem to root)
  • Peel off the outer layer
  • Place the onion flat side down (the center cut)
  • Cut thin slices against the grain
    • Against the grain in this case is left to right following the arch of the onion (so not where was already exposed after you’ve cut in half)
• Deglazing with white wine is optional, but the added acidity is a must. If you are alcohol-free (although it cooks off) you could do a small splash of apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar instead. 
• Really spend the time to let the onions caramelize; their flavor deepens and gets deliciously sweet the longer they cook. 
• Once you’ve added the pasta, stir very often otherwise it’ll stick to the bottom. 
• I don’t think this will happen, but if the liquid gets too low as you cook the pasta, just add more stock or water! The water will evaporate and absorb into the pasta so it will get less and less, but if you really need more, just add a little bit at a time. 
• Shred your own cheese to avoid any additives that prevent it from melting to the fullest extent of its creaminess.
• You can cook the caramelized onions in advance – follow the first 4 steps (through adding the worcestershire salt and pepper). Then let the mixture cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to finish the dish, add the mixture to the pot with the beef stock, water, and pasta and continue as instructed. If you do this, the recipe should really only take 15 minutes. 
• Since caramelizing onions is no quick task, you can make a bigger batch and save some to use in recipes like caramelized onion and bacon pizza, and caramelized onion and apple grilled cheese.

Ingredient variations

• Make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock (or vegetable broth).
• Make it gluten free by using your favorite gluten free pasta. 
• If you want to add meat I’d recommend serving with some crispy chicken cutlets. 
• Adding sliced mushrooms when you add the garlic is a great vegetable addition.
• Give it a bit of heat by adding some red pepper flakes when you add the garlic. 

What to serve with French Onion Pasta

• Garlic bread, always
• Crispy chicken cutlets (as mentioned above!)
• A simple green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil
• Hearty meatballs 

Storage and reheating

This French onion soup pasta is quite delicious reheated, so definitely save any leftovers (if you even have any).

• Storage: Let the pasta cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Let the pasta cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
• Reheating: Warm in the microwave for a few minutes or on the stovetop on low heat. If it needs to be loosened up a bit, add a splash of beef stock or water. 

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📖 Recipe

This Zucchini and Stracciatella Pizza is a perfect spring pizza recipe. It has a base of an herby ricotta, topped with thin sliced zucchini, shallots, and corn, then finished with some lemony arugula and decadent stracciatella cheese. A perfect way to eat a bunch of fresh vegetables that are at their peak.

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Ingredients 

This zucchini pizza comes together with some common spring ingredients that are so good when combined.

• Pizza dough: Any pizza dough will work here regardless of store bought or homemade. Heck, you could even use puff pastry. I personally always get my pizza dough from Trader Joe’s, it’s easy and reliable. 
• Ricotta cheese: Whole milk ricotta cheese is always ideal, you’ll get the creamiest texture and most flavor. 
• Fresh herbs: My favorite combination is parsley and dill, but any combination of soft sprint herbs will be great here.
• Garlic: A bit of grated garlic goes in the ricotta mixture for added flavor. You could use granulated garlic in its place (¼ teaspoon = 1 clove). 
• Red pepper chili flakes: Completely optional, but adds a little delicious kick. 
• Shallot: Because the flavors in this pizza are very delicate, I like to use a shallot as opposed to a red onion. If red onion is all you have, that’s totally fine. 
• Zucchini: Very thinly sliced zucchini that bakes just enough and is a perfect topping for this spring pizza. Any spring / summer squash is great here. 
• Corn: A great texture pop and pop of color. Fresh, canned, or frozen all work. If frozen, defrost prior to adding to the pizza. If canned, drain and rinse before adding to the pizza.
• Arugula: Wild arugula brings such a fresh and slightly bitter bite. It's so good topped on the freshly baked pizza.
• Lemon juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the arugula brings the perfect amount of acidity to this pizza and brightens it all up. 
• Stracciatella: A delicious and creamy cheese that really brings this pizza recipe home. 

What is stracciatella cheese? 

Stracciatella is an Italian cheese that is made from pulled mozzarella curds mixed with cream (thus it is more liquidy than fresh mozzarella). It’s essentially the inside of the burrata cheese. More on it here.

Step by step instructions 

This springy white pizza is really a free for all, layer as you wish, but below is my recommendation for how to approach assembling this zucchini stracciatella pizza. 

1. Roll out the dough. Let your dough come to room temperature then either use a rolling pin and roll or use your fingers to press it out until it’s about ½ an inch thin. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top.

2. Make the ricotta cheese mixture. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, chopped fresh herbs, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. 

3. Top the pizza. Using a spoon or spatula, spread all of the ricotta cheese mixture on the dough, leaving about a ½ inch border around the edges. Then scatter the zucchini, shallots, and corn evenly all over the ricotta. 

4. Bake. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes until golden. 

5. Combine lemon and arugula. In a large bowl, squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon over the arugula. Toss to combine.

6. Add final toppings. When the pizza comes out of the oven, top with the lemony arugula and stracciatella cheese.

Tips and tricks

Some tips and tricks below to help make this springy pizza!

• Sprinkle some all purpose flour on your surface before you roll out the dough so it doesn't stick.
• Stretch your dough out on the parchment paper so that you can easily transfer it to your baking sheet. Or stretch it out already on the baking sheet. 
• Use a pizza stone if you have one. 
• If the pizza dough is scrunching back up when you’re trying to stretch it out, it means it’s still too cold. Let the dough rest at room temperature for another 15 minutes then try again. Repeat if still not cooperating.
• The pizza dough does not need to be a perfect circle! I like to do an oval kind of shape to fit on the sheet pan. 
• Slice the zucchini and shallots really thin using a mandoline if you’re comfortable using one. Just make sure to use the guard so you keep your hand and fingers safe.

Recipe customizations

I love this recipe as is of course, but below are some ideas for swaps and add-ons if you want to go a bit more of a custom route.

• Cheese
  • Add some parmesan cheese to the ricotta mixture.
  • Use 70/30 ricotta cheese / goat cheese.
  • Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta mixture before the vegetables.
• Herbs
  • Sub fresh basil or fresh oregano in for any of the soft herbs.
• More vegetables and topping ideas
  • Slice some cherry tomatoes in half and put them on before baking, or add sundried tomatoes on after baking.
  • Grate a bit of lemon zest in with the arugula or ricotta mixture.
  • Adding some sliced prosciutto or spicy salami on top after baking would be so good. 
  • Chop up some romaine hearts and put on before baking.
  • Add shaved fennel with the arugula topping.
  • Top with thinly sliced jalapeños.
• Other
  • Mix some pesto in with the ricotta cheese to make it a springy ricotta pesto pizza.

What to serve with white pizza

Pizza can totally be a full meal, but if you're serving this for, let's say, al fresco on a warm day, consider serving with the below:

• Fresh fish that's been grilled or sautéd with white wine (shrimp, branzino, or cod would be great).
• Pasta with a fresh homemade tomato sauce (bonus points if you use san marzano tomatoes).
• A simple charcuterie board with some chunks of parmigiano reggiano and kalamata olives.

Storage and reheating 

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Reheating: Since there is arugula on top, I like to just mildly warm this pizza for about 1 minute in the microwave. It takes the initial chill off, while not fully heating the arugula. 

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📖 Recipe

This sheet pan Baked Chicken and Leeks is a delicious and filling easy dinner recipe. With creamy diced potatoes, bright and lemony leeks, and juicy roasted marinated chicken and onions. Served with a garlicky greek yogurt sauce (and a glass of white wine). It's a perfect chicken recipe for a busy weeknight or slow weekend.

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Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this baked chicken and leeks recipe, and some rationale / description behind them. I am fully aware this may look like a lot, but I promise the list is longer than it seems and a lot of this you’ll likely already have in your kitchen. 

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: These are my preferred chicken for this dish because they cook in a perfect amount of time and are so juicy. While bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are known for having more flavor and moisture from the bone, the marinade in this recipe and the way it’s cooked help it stay flavorful and juicy. 
  • You can use chicken breasts or bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. Chicken breast takes a shorter amount of time to cook, whereas bone-in skin-on chicken thighs take longer, so be mindful of that when spacing everything out. 
• Garlic: Plenty of chopped garlic cloves to go in the marinade, and a bit is used in the garlic sauce. You can increase or decrease this based on your preference. 
• Lemon juice & zest: The juice balances the marinade with some acidity. The zest goes on the leeks.
• Worcestershire sauce: a little sauce with tons of flavor - molasses, vinegar, anchovies, all loaded in here. Just a little bit goes a long way. You can use soy sauce instead if needed.
• Dijon mustard: Mustard not only helps the seasoning stick to the chicken but brings a little tangy flavor.
• Spices: a mixture of dried oregano, dried thyme, and smoked paprika is used in the marinade. 
• Olive oil: The base of the marinade - regular olive oil is fine here because it’ll be baked at a relatively high temperature. 
• Onion: A half of a yellow onion is sliced up thin and baked with the chicken, the flavors meld together when marinating and baking, and it’s so good. 
• Potatoes: Any of your favorite potatoes work well here, as long as they are cut into 1-inch chunks. like to use red potatoes in this dish for the variety of color on the plate.
• Leeks: This recipe uses two large leeks, the white through light green parts. To me (although not a technically correct description), leeks are somewhere between an onion and an herb. They’re a member of the onion family, so have a similiar flavor, however are more mild.
• Greek yogurt: Full fat / whole milk plain greek yogurt is used to make a simple yogurt sauce with garlic.
• Parsley: A little fresh parsley sprinkled over top to serve adds a fresh finishing touch. Just about any soft fresh herbs would do the trick here - cilantro, mint, etc.!
• Kosher salt: always kosher salt, not sea salt, not table salt, not coarse salt. I use diamond crystal - it's important to know the differences between salts.

Step by step instructions

These sheet pan chicken thighs come together pretty easily, steps are listed out below.

Overview: marinate the chicken and onions. Then bake the potatoes half way, then add the chicken and let that cook 80% of the way, and then add the leeks. Serve with garlicky yogurt.

1. Marinate the chicken. Pat your chicken dry. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and sliced onions with the marinade ingredients – olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cover and let it sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes. 

While that is marinating, prep the rest of the ingredients.

2. Bake the potatoes. Lay the potatoes out on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

3. Add the chicken. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, give the potatoes a toss, and push them to one side. Add the marinated chicken and onions right on the baking sheet with all the juices, and return it all to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes. 

4. Season the leeks. In a small bowl, toss leeks, olive oil, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt together.  

5. Add the leeks & finish baking. Remove the baking sheet from the oven once more, scatter the leek mixture over top of the potatoes. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes until the leeks are tender and golden brown, and the chicken is cooked through. 

6. Make the yogurt sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the greek yogurt, grated garlic, and kosher salt. 

Serve with yogurt on the base of the plate, with chicken, potatoes, and leeks on top, sprinkled with fresh parsley. You can also pour some of the pan juices over top.

How to prep leeks

Cleaning leeks well is very important – dirt and grime gets hidden in all the crevices and layers. 

• To prepare and clean leeks, cut off the parts you’re not using (in this case, cut off the root and dark green stems).
• Then slice them in half, then into half moons.
• Transfer them in a colander and rinse well under cold water, opening all the pieces up and cleaning thoroughly.
• You could alternatively do this in a bowl of water. 

Tips and tricks

Some notes on this one-pan meal of baked chicken thighs with leeks and potatoes below. 

• Pat your chicken dry with paper towels before you marinate it. This will help make sure everything sticks. 
• If time allows, marinate them for hours! Marinating chicken thighs helps make them tender and so flavorful. However, if you marinate for hours, do so covered in the fridge. Then, about 30 minutes before you are going to bake them, take them out of the fridge to come down to room temperature.
• Toss the chicken periodically as it marinates. The liquid will all go to the bottom of the bowl so you want to mix a few times to re-distribute. 
• Use thermometers - both a meat thermometer and oven thermometer, to ensure everything is at the right temperature. Cook time of the chicken will vary based on the size of the meat, so having a thermometer is very helpful. To check the temperature, put the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken.
• Cut the potatoes into pieces the same size so they bake at the same rate. 
• If you want everything a little crisper, broil it at the end for a few minutes.
• Make the yogurt sauce more of a drizzle by adding a dash or two of water until it’s thinned out to a drizzly consistency. 
• You could make this dish in a cast-iron skillet or roasting pan - you would simply put the potatoes on the bottom, add the chicken on top of the potatoes, and then put the leeks scattered on top of it all.

Storage and reheating

Storing and reheating this roast chicken dish is pretty standard! Instructions below.

• Storage: let the dish cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the greek yogurt sauce separately. 
• Reheating: warm in the microwave in 1-2 minute increments until warmed through. 

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📖 Recipe