One Pot French Onion Pasta (Dairy Free)
One pot French onion pasta tastes like a classic French onion soup in pasta form. This ridiculously delicious pasta recipe is dairy free and gluten free.
Looking for more gluten free dairy free dinner pasta recipes? Try my marry me chicken pasta, burst cherry tomato pasta, or pasta with carrot sauce and Italian chickpea breadcrumbs.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy French onion pasta:
- Olive oil
- Dairy free butter
- Onions – I used white onions but you can also use yellow onions. Avoid using sweet onions, also called Vidalia onions. This type of onion becomes too sweet once caramelized and for this particular dish, we want the flavors to be more savory, and less sweet.
- Sherry vinegar
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Beef broth – this adds so much flavor to the dish overall.
- Worcestershire sauce – use gluten free if needed such as The Wizard’s brand.
- Dry pasta – I prefer farfalle (bow ties) but you can use another type of pasta shape. Use gluten free pasta if needed. I love Jovial pasta.
- Dairy free gouda cheese – I used the Daiya brand.
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper – to taste.
How to Make French Onion Pasta: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
1. Melt the butter and the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Saute them, stirring often until the onions are a deep golden brown color. This can take 30-40 minutes. If the onions are browning too quickly, reduce to medium heat.
3. Add the sherry vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Then add in the minced garlic and fresh thyme. Cook for another minute, stirring often.
4. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, water, and pasta. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to medium and cook until some of the broth has cooked off and the pasta is al dente according to package directions. Stir occasionally.
5. Stir in the dairy free cheese until melted. Season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt, and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- The cooking time will vary depending on how long your pasta takes to cook as well as the thickness of the onion slices.
- Use any large pot with high walls, it doesn’t have to be a Dutch oven.
- Want to cook the full pound of pasta (16 ounces)? You’ll need to add another cup of water so that all the pasta is submerged in the cooking liquid.
Quick Tip: Initially, it’ll look like a lot of onions, but as they cook down and caramelize, they lose a ton of volume.
Storage
Store leftover French onion pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. If your pasta looks a little dry, you can add a little olive oil, broth, or water to loosen it up.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this French onion pasta recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No sherry vinegar? – sub balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or check out sherry vinegar substitutes for more ideas.
- No fresh thyme? – use 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
- No beef broth? – sub chicken or vegetable broth.
- No Worcestershire sauce? – you can also use low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- No dairy free cheese? – stir in 1/3 cup cashew cream or full fat coconut milk for a creamy sauce.
- Not dairy free? – use unsalted butter and dairy gouda or Gruyère cheese like in traditional French onion soup.
- Add-ins – mushrooms, dry white wine to deglaze the caramelized onions, or cooked protein to make it more filling: such as chicken, oven cooked bacon, beef, crispy prosciutto, or lentils.
Frequently Asked Questions
French onion soup is a traditional French soup made with caramelized onions and beef stock. It’s then topped with a slice of French bread or croutons with broiled Gruyère cheese on top.
French onion soup pasta has had several iterations over the years, but in the last couple of years, it has become a viral pasta recipe on TikTok. My version is made without dairy or gluten and is every bit as delicious!
More Pasta Recipes
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Pasta With Carrot Sauce and Italian Chickpea Breadcrumbs
I hope you love this French Onion Pasta! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating so I know how you liked it!
One Pot French Onion Pasta (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter or unsalted butter if not dairy free
- 3 white or yellow onions sliced into thin half moons
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth 32 ounce container
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounces farfalle pasta (bow tie)
- 1 cup shredded dairy free smoked gouda I used the Daiya brand
- diamond crystal kosher salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt. Saute them, stirring often until the onions are a deep golden brown color. This can take 30-40 minutes. If the onions are browning too quickly, reduce to medium heat.
- Add the sherry vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Then add in the minced garlic and fresh thyme. Cook for another minute, stirring often.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, water, and pasta. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to medium and cook until some of the broth has cooked off and the pasta is al dente according to package directions. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the dairy free cheese until melted. Season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt, and enjoy!
This is one of the top 5 best things I’ve ever eaten. It’s can be enjoyed on its own or with protein added in. Shredded beef mixed in is chef’s kiss. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!