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Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta

Vegan caramelized onion pasta with a glossy, golden-amber onion sauce and creamy rigatoni. Slow-caramelized onions simmer down to a rich coating, finished with nutritional yeast “parmesan” and fresh thyme.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and aromatics
  • 1 lb rigatoni or spaghetti
  • 4 onions thinly sliced
  • 4 clove garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water reserve 1 cup during cooking; use about 1/2 cup as needed to reach creaminess
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast plus extra for serving
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Heat olive oil and vegan butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply caramelized and golden (look for rich amber color and very soft onions).
  2. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme, then cook for 2 minutes. Stir until fragrant and lightly toasted (about 2 minutes), keeping the heat at medium-low to avoid browning the garlic too fast.
  3. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes, until the liquid reduces slightly and the pan looks glossy.
  4. Stir in balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, just to blend flavors and coat the onions.
Cook and finish the pasta
  1. Cook the rigatoni or spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
  2. Toss the drained pasta with the caramelized onions, nutritional yeast, and enough reserved pasta water to make the sauce creamy. Cook while tossing over low heat for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are evenly coated (the sauce should look silky and cling to the pasta).
  3. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then turn off the heat. Top with fresh parsley and a little extra nutritional yeast before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep the heat medium-low and stir every few minutes so the onions caramelize slowly instead of burning. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy texture can break after thawing. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free rigatoni and cook pasta until al dente, then follow the same tossing method.