"This pasta is a warm hug. Inspired by the viral French onion soup pasta, this recipe uses Brightland’s Awake Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Rapture Balsamic Vinegar with melty onions and sharp pecorino. Simple pantry staples come together to create a cozy, autumnal meal that's hearty and satisfying with minimal effort." - Noreen Wasti, Chef in Residence
Ingredients
3 tablespoons Awake Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for finishing
1 lb yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced in half-moons
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons Rapture Balsamic Vinegar
Leaves from 3-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
8 ounces short-cut pasta of your choice
1 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more to finish
Fresh chives, finely minced, to garnish
Instructions
Heat 3 tablespoons of Awake Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the onions and stir. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and lightly brown.
Remove the lid and add a 1/4 cup of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring often, and let the onions caramelize for 30 minutes.
At the 30 minute mark, stir in the Rapture vinegar, thyme leaves, and cracked black pepper. Continue caramelizing the onions for an additional 15 minutes, until deeply golden and soft.
While the onions are finishing, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook until al dente or according to the instructions on the box.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain.
With the heat on low, transfer the pasta to the pan with the caramelized onions and stir to combine. Add a 1/2 cup of pasta water with the pecorino cheese, mix well to emulsify adding more pasta water as needed to create a glossy sauce.
Taste for salt and season again with more black pepper.
Finish with a drizzle of Awake olive oil, more grated pecorino cheese, and minced chives.
