One-Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake
4 tablespoons butter
2-3 sweet onions
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup red wine
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 cups chicken broth + 3/4 cups water
1 pound of your favorite short cut pasta
2 bay leaves
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
pinch of cayenne pepper
6 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Heat a large high-sided Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the onions + brown sugar and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point you want to slowly add the Worcestershire sauce and the wine, let them cook into the onions, add more and continue to cook. Do this until the the wine is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking. Make sure the wine has evaporated.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Toss the mushroom and garlic in with the caramelized onions, season with salt and pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft.
Pour in the chicken broth + water and bring to a boil. Add your pasta, bay leaves and thyme, cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has been soaked up by the pasta and the pasta is al dente. If you feel your pasta needs more water to continue cooking, add around 1/2 cup.
Stir in the cream and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir in half the Gruyere cheese and the Gorgonzola cheese. Cook 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Top with the remaining cheese and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Serve warm, top with fresh thyme and parsley if desired.