Spicy Caramelized Onion Pasta
This delicious, spicy pasta gets its flavor from the caramelized onions! So good. It’s pretty spicy, so if you want to tone it down, use less crushed red pepper. If you really don’t like spicy, you can leave it out altogether or just use a pinch. To make this dish completely vegan, just use vegan butter! I already used oat milk in place of heavy cream, which actually worked really well in this recipe. The pasta shape I used was called reginetti, and I found it at Whole Foods (the brand is called Sfoglini).
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5.3 oz tomato paste (1/2 cup)
1 tsp crushed red pepper (for less spicy, use 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter (can use vegan)
1/2 cup oat milk
12 oz whole grain reginetti (or pasta of choice)
Salt & pepper
1. Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium/large pan on medium heat until oil is hot. Add the onions, and coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the onions cook. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent burning. You’ll want to cook the onions for about 30-50 minutes until they’re sticky and brown. If they start to dry out, burn, or stick to the pan, add a little water for moisture.
2. When onions have caramelized, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil along with the minced garlic. Cook for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and salt, and cook for about 4-5 minutes until tomato paste turns brick red. Add in the butter and oat milk, and cook until both have been absorbed, about 2-3 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat or keep on low.
3. Cook your pasta al dente, according to package, and reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Add pasta to a large skillet along with sauce and reserved pasta water, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.