Creamy pasta bakes always have my heart, but creamy pasta bakes with balsamic-scented caramelised onions and goat’s cheese have my heart even more.
I will outrageously date myself at the present time, however this is something I envision Amélie Poulain would prepare in her minuscule Paris condo. For a heartfelt night in, perhaps? I keep thinking about whether they’d lament every one of the onions and garlic somewhat later on, ha!
I have certainly never lamented eating onions or garlic, on the grounds that their sharp flavors are too acceptable to even think about disregarding. Besides, along with the goat’s cheddar they add such a great amount to this veggie lover pasta prepare, you’re by no means going to miss the meat. I make my own balsamic caramelized onions, yet in the event that you need to be extra sluggish (no disgrace in that), vibe allowed to utilize your number one onion jam from the shops. Something else, it’s a direct formula you can prepare any evening of the week.
Which record would Amélie put on for a night like that? I believe she’s certainly into Georges Moustaki. That is to say, who’s not into this smokey, tough voice? Tom Waits in French. My pleasure.
One of my favourite vegetarian pasta bakes to date: Pasta in a creamy goat’s cheese sauce, topped with balsamic caramelised onions and baked to bubbly perfection!
Ingredients
For the balsamic onions:
- 25 g butter (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 4 large onions (peeled, halved and very thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon bicarb of soda
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the pasta:
- 25 g unsalted butter (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 20 g plain flour (1 heaping tablespoon)
- 100 ml dry white wine (3 1/2oz)
- 500 ml stock (plus more as needed; 2 cups)
- 500 ml whole milk (plus more as needed; 2 cups)
- 360 g dried pasta (12oz)
- a few sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)
- 100 g fresh goat’s cheese (3 1/2oz)
- 100 g grated pecorino cheese (3 1/2oz)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I used a whole grain variety)
- Grated pecorino cheese
Method
Make the caramelised onions:
- Melt 25g butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add onions and sprinkle evenly with sugar, salt and bicarb. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Sweat the onions for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Stir the balsamic vinegar into the onions and ccok for one more minute. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed, then remove onions to a small bowl.
Make the pasta:
- In the same pan (don’t wipe it!), melt another 25g of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minutes, constantly stirring.
- Next, stir in the white wine, scratching any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer until it has almost all cooked away, then whisk in the stock and milk until smooth and no more floury lumps remain.
- Stir the dry pasta and thyme leaves into the milk mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until pasta is just al-dente. There should be plenty of creamy sauce at this point. If the pasta seems too dry/the sauce too thick (this can depend a LOT on your exact brand of pasta used!), add up to 200ml more milk or stock as needed.
Assemble the bake:
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Once the pasta is finished, stir in the goat’s cheese, grated pecorino and mustard. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Transfer it to an approximately 2 liter (2 quart) baking dish. Dot with the caramelised onion, then sprinkle generously with extra grated cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve right away with a side of salad greens lightly dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if you like.
Notes
A note on the liquid used: If you prefer to stay away from cow’s milk, feel free to use all stock. Double up on the goat’s cheese to achieve a nice creaminess, if you like.
