Caramelized Onion Carbonara

 
I thought it was time to post one of those super easy, delicious dinner ideas that we return to again and again.  This recipe only calls for egg, onion, and pasta.  The cream is an excellent touch, but you really can go without it.  Even when we have been away for the weekend and have not had time to shop, as we have for several of these fall weekends, we usually have what we need to throw this together.



It's also very quick.  Start the onions first, and you can do everything else while they cook; just check back in on them every few minutes and give them a stir.

And the taste?  Fantastic!  Although carbonara is usually made with pancetta or bacon -- one of those ingredients that even the most hard core vegetarians may dream about -- the caramelized onions add such a rich flavor that the dish is delicious without it.

 

Caramelized Onion Carbonara

Serves 5
5 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
a couple of pinches freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water
a few grinds of black pepper
1 pound long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine
parmesan for serving

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the onion and cook until the onion browns and caramelizes, about 30 minutes.  Stir frequently, and, from time to time, add a splash of water to loosen the juices from the pan.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. 

In a large, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and pepper together.  When the water boils, generously salt the water and add the pasta.  For al dente pasta, cook for 1 minute less than the time called for on the box.  Before draining the pasta, remove 1 or 2 cups of the boiling water with a measuring cup. 

Drain the pasta and add it immediately to the bowl with the egg mixture.  Stir the pasta quickly for a minute or two, until the egg coats the pasta evenly and cooks from the heat of the pasta.  If the pasta seems dry, add some of the boiling water.  Add the onion and mix again.  Serve immediately, and pass the parmesan at the table. 

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Comments

[Sarah]

I am a pretty dedicated hater of onions, and even I can attest that this recipe is delicious!! The caramelizing takes away all of the onioniness. YUM!!

[Andrea]

Do the kids eat the caramelized onions? Not that I'd mind eating them all myself, just curious.

[Margy]

Andrea: Olivia loves them, Oscar will eat them if they end up on his fork (but there's usually a pile of them when he's done with the pasta), and Chloe pushes them out of the way. Gabe and I eat a lot of extras.