Caramelized Onion Pasta, 3 Easy Ways to Keep Running Fun!

It’s been a while since I have shared a pasta recipe but this Caramelized Onion one is to freak’in delicious not to share. It’s also made entirely with pantry ingredients (just 9 ingredients total), so you can make it almost anytime.

What takes the longest is peeling and slicing the onions but once that step is done, you’ll have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes ❤️.

If you love sweet Caramelized onions, that along is enough to try this recipe, and if you don’t, I am not sue how to help you 😉.

Here’s why you’re going to LOVE this pasta:

9 main ingredients. Okay, not counting water, oil, salt and pepper. But yeah, just 9 main ingredients, how awesome is that!

Pantry staples. And all those ingredients are pantry staples

Weeknight-friendly. It takes 40-45 minutes to make, from start to finish, unless it takes you longer to slice onions.

Italian comfort food heaven. This dish reminds me of one I had in Italy….Each bite is more slurpable and more delicious than the next.

Umami explosion. This pasta is an umami-lover’s dream come true. More on that below.

Ingredient Rundown:

This ingredient rundown is basically a way for me to count the ways I love this caramelized pasta dish and why you will too!!

1. Caramelized onions. When you caramelize onions, you’re witnessing the Maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction that happens when certain food is heated. Amino acids and reducing sugars react, resulting in the food browning, whether it’s through grilling vegetables or caramelizing onions. This gives this dish a somewhat meaty flavor & savory flavor with every bite.

2. Tomato paste. Tomato paste packs in an umami punch with its bold, concentrated tomato-y flavor. In this dish, rather than adding it as an after math for flavor, we are cooking it down after the onions are caramelized, essentially caramelizing the tomato paste itself. This unlocks the full potential of the tomato paste and brings forth its boldest flavor. Think of it almost as if you would think of sautéing aromatics – it’s another opportunity to layer in some flavor.

3. Coconut Aminos. Also brings those glutamate-y, umami flavors, along with saltiness. Probably my 2nd favorite part of the this dish…..Onions being #1 😉.

4. Nutritional Yeast. Your vegan source of subtle cheesy, umami notes.

5. Sundried Tomatoes. I love using these to bring in a delightful chewy texture, and a salty-yet-slightly-sweet flavor. I recommend using olive oil packed one because they’re more flavorful.

Tips for making this Caramelized Pasta:

1. Caramelizing onions at high heat. Typically, I caramelize onions by cooking them over low heat to prevent burning like in my French Onion Soup. This can take up to an hour…if you have the time great but there is also no harm in caramelizing the onions somewhere between medium-high and high heat.

The trick to caramelizing onions at a higher heat is to deglaze the pan every couple minutes with a few spoons of water. If you skip this step, the onions will burn and you will be left with blackened, burned onions, not gooey, sticky browned onions.

After heating the olive oil, add the thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until you see a few brown bits. That’s when you start deglazing the pan with water – just a few spoons at a time. Stir frequently, and continue deglazing in this manner every few minutes.

After about 15 minutes, the onions should be deeply golden brown. Now lower the heat and add your garlic.

 2. Use tomato paste in a glass jar or tube, not tin can! Tomato pastes are NOT created equally. When you’re using so much tomato paste, the tinny metallic flavor from the canned tomato paste comes through (not great). The ones in jars or tubes just seem to be richer and definitely more flavorful in a good way.

4. Reserve the pasta water. Before you drain the pasta, save some of that cooking water. Ever since visiting Italy I learned this and I have not stopped since. First off, the pasta leeches some of its starch into the cooking water, so it’s starchy. Secondly, since the water has been salted, it’s a bit flavorful plus it helps thin out the sauce.

6. Make it heartier. If pasta doesn’t seem like a complete meal too you, make it heartier by adding some cooked or canned Cannelini beans at the end. And my favorite toppings are toasted pine nuts or hemp seeds which are less expensive right now and freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley for some freshness. I used a heaping cup of pasta water.

This is the perfect pasta dish for any night of the week. I personally think it’s fancy enough for your next dinner party too. I have made this with the beans and without. Both are equally as delicious but I love adding in beans for more protein and substance especially if you have you a longer run or more strenuous workout planned the next day.

Speaking of running……Just like I love to switch things up in my kitchen, I also think it’s important to do the same for your running espeically if you are in a funk or are bored.

Here are top 3 things I do to keep running FUN:

1. Add Bodyweight Exercises to your run ~ This is not only a fun way to change up your runs, but can also help you build strength and stamina.

Any body weight exercises will work…or if you see a bench use it for step ups or side lunges or push-ups. Stop every 5 to 10 minutes to perform an exercise of choice.

2. Try a Farklet ~ This is a Swedish or training term that means speed play. It’s super fun.

All you do is pick an object in the distance like a pole, a parked car, or even the end of a block, and sped up. Run fast until you reach the object.

Once you reach the object, slow down, recover and repeat.

3. Try Hill Reps ~ these are a crucial part of any running program for any runner…recreational or elite.

So friends, lets have some fun making this pasta and if you’re a runner, tell me in the comments whats you’re favorite way to keep running fun ❤️.

Vegan Caramelized Pasta with White Beans

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, very thinly sliced
• Water to deglaze the pan
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small can or tube 5.3-ounce of tomato paste (not canned tomato paste)
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 4 – 5 large oil-packed sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 10 ounces (285g) spaghetti or linguine (can use gluten-free)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven somewhere between medium-high and high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it’s hot, add the thinly sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts to form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. Add a few spoons of water to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until they’re deeply golden brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the sliced garlic cloves. Stir frequently, adding water as needed to deglaze. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the onions are fully caramelized and the garlic is golden and soft.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and oregano, and stir to coat the onions, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly, or until the paste has caramelized and become darker, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the aminos, nutritional yeast, and chopped sundried tomatoes and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low.
5. Ladle a few spoons of the reserved pasta water into the caramelized onions. Then transfer the hot cooked pasta to the onions. Start mixing in more pasta water. Keep stirring as you add in more pasta water as needed (I usually add 1 cup) until you can coat all of the noodles in the tomato-y sauce. This whole process usually takes 3-4 minutes.
6. If desired, garnish with pine nuts or seeeds and chopped parsley. Leftovers stay good in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

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Do you like adding beans to your pasta dishes?

What’s your favorite way to keep running fun?

Do you practice meatless Mondays?