Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs Yellow Onions, thinly sliced pole-to-pole
  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, plus 1 Tbsp for finishing
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup Dry Sherry (or Dry White Wine)
  • 3 cups low sodium Beef Broth
  • 4 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 12 oz Dried Pasta (Rigatoni or Campanelle)
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 6 oz Gruyère Cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Melt 4 Tbsp butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add all sliced onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Season lightly with salt. Sauté slowly, stirring every 5-7 minutes, for 35–45 minutes, until onions are deeply mahogany brown and jammy, scraping up any fond (brown bits) from the bottom regularly.
  2. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Push the caramelized onions to one side of the pot. Add the 2 Tbsp of flour to the empty side and cook for 1 minute. Stir the onions into the flour mixture to combine.
  3. Deglaze the pot by pouring in the sherry (or wine) and scrape vigorously to lift all the flavourful browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated (about 2 minutes).
  4. Slowly whisk in the beef broth until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and intensify. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
  5. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until perfectly al dente. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
  6. Drain the pasta and immediately add it directly into the Dutch oven with the onion sauce. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter and toss vigorously to coat. Add splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to create a luxurious, emulsified sauce that clings to the noodles.
  7. Stir in half of the grated Gruyère cheese until melted and creamy. Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with the remaining Gruyère cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.