Lazy French Onion & Mushroom Pasta

Sounds super fancy, but behind the French Onion Soup is a humble peasant beginning - a dish for when bread is stale and the pantry boasts only onion. Patience brings the rich flavor, one that I recently realized can transfer to the pasta pot too. For this Lazy French Onion Pasta, throwing in some mushrooms brings it a certain earthiness that goes well with the smoky taste of caramelized onions. Fret not about the availability of white onions, here’s how you do it with very few ingredients!

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Prep time: 5 min Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 2

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Ingredients

• Pasta - 2 handfuls of Conchiglie or Farfalle

• Mushrooms - 10-12 big pieces

• Red Onions - 2 medium sized

• Garlic - 6-7 cloves

• Butter - 2 spoons

• All-purpose flour - 1 spoon

• Milk - ¼- ½ cup (depends on the creaminess required)

• Vinegar - 1 tbsp

• Salt - to taste

• Sugar - ½ tsp

• Pepper - to taste

Method for Lazy French Onion & Mushroom Pasta

• Cook the conchiglie with generous salt till it is al dente. Set aside with some stock water.

• While the pasta cooks, slice up the onions and garlic finely. I slice up the mushrooms too as this recipe heroes the onion more than the mushroom. Choose to dice it up if preferred

• Add the butter to a saucepan and add the garlic and sliced onions. Cook over low flame for 15-20 min, stirring it every 2-3 minutes. Add a bit of sugar and salt to help with the caramelization and balance of flavors

• When the onions are browning, I add a splash of vinegar to bring out the sweetness - thereby rendering the red onions to the required taste

• Add sliced mushrooms and continue sauteing till it forms a homogeneous, earthy brown mixture. Sprinkle all-purpose flour and stir evenly - this will give body to the sauce

• Add milk, pepper and adjust salt (if needed) and simmer for 5 minutes

Add milk over low flame and stir into the mixture

Simmer and cook with stock for a creamy sauce

• Add the pasta to the saucepan with some of the stock ( for a semi gravy consistency)

• Cook with the lid closed over low flame for 3-5 minutes

Serve with grated cheddar and a slice of bread / sourdough bread