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French Onion Pasta Bake

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This French onion pasta is rich, cozy, and packed with caramelized onions, ground beef, and a creamy Gruyère sauce. Finished with crispy fried onions and baked until bubbly, it’s the ultimate comfort food casserole that feels fancy but is totally doable on a weeknight.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 16 ounces rotini pasta
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 packets onion soup mix
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium/large yellow onions (about 1.5 pounds), thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 4 cups half and half
  • 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1 cup crispy fried onions for topping
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente. Don’t forget to add salt to the pasta water before boiling! Drain and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and a couple pinches of salt and pepper, and cook, crumbling with a spatula, until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle with 1 packet of onion soup mix and stir until well combined.
  3. Without wiping out the pan, add butter and olive oil and lower heat to medium. Add onion and a few generous pinches of salt, and cook, stirring every 3-5 minutes, for about 40 minutes total or until caramelized.
  4. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  5. Add garlic, dried thyme, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Add red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom. 
  6. Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for a minute.
  7. Then slowly pour in Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and half and half.
  8. Whisk 1 packet onion soup mix and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
  9. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly.
  10. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 of the shredded cheese until it melts into the sauce. Then season to taste with salt and pepper.
  11. Fold in cooked pasta and cooked ground beef until everything is well coated in the sauce.
  12. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
  13. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
  14. Remove foil and add French fried onions. Bake for another 5 minutes.
  15. Let rest for 5 minutes or so. Top with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
  16. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

  • Salt your pasta water. Add a couple tablespoons of Kosher salt to your pot of boiling water just before adding the pasta. This is your first chance to season the pasta, and it surprisingly makes a big difference in the final flavor of the dish.
  • Cook the pasta just until al dente so that it doesn’t get mushy once it’s combined with the sauce and baked.
  • Salt in layers to avoid a bland final dish. Anytime you’re introducing new ingredients to the sauce, add a pinch or two of salt. This ensures each layer of the dish is properly seasoned.
  • Use freshly shredded cheese for the smoothest melt and the very best flavor.
  • Author: Kylie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove Top + Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8 of the pasta
  • Calories: 565
  • Sugar: 9.3 g
  • Sodium: 1228 mg
  • Fat: 18.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 65.3 g
  • Fiber: 3.1 g
  • Protein: 33.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 78.6 mg

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/french-onion-pasta/