Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Pasta is my quintessential cold day meal. It is a savory, sweet goat cheese pasta bake from heaven. The arugula is the perfect bite of pepper and freshness that you need to balance the heaviness of the pasta.

Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Pasta

Serves 7 — 2 cup portions

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 medium sweet onions, sliced to 1/8”
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for pasta water
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 lb pasta, cavatappi or penne
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup white wine, French preferred
12 springs fresh thyme
8 oz goat cheese, divided
1/3 cup pecorino cheese, grated (plus more for top)
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
black pepper
5 oz arugula, for serving

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375ºF.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Once melted, add in the onions. Sauté, stirring frequently for 20 minutes.
Add in the brown sugar and kosher salt, and sauté for another 10 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Remove the onions from the pan.
Fill the pot with water and salt generously, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook the pasta until 2 minutes under al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and strain pasta.
In the same pot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour for 1- 2 minutes. This will serve as the base for your white roux.*
Whisk in the white wine until smooth, then the vegetable stock slowly until smooth, and lastly add in milk until smooth.
Season with kosher salt, black pepper. Stir in dijon mustard and thyme. Remove from heat and stir in pecorino and 4 oz of goat cheese. Add caramelized onions to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the noodles.
Pour into a prepared 9”x13” baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
Take out to you d top with the remaining 4 oz of goat cheese. If the pasta is looking dry or crunchy, stir in reserved pasta water or a little wine. Finish baking for an additional 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Once pasta is cooked, remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Portion into bowls with arugula, and top with black pepper and pecorino if desired.

PRO TIP:

*There are four different types of roux: white, blonde, brown, and dark. This recipe uses a white roux, where you cook the flour in fat for 1 to 5 minutes, so it is pale with no browning, and is used for béchamel and cream sauces, as it is the best roux for thickening. A blonde roux is cooked for 5 to 10 minutes and is used for velouté, chowders, classic gravies, and has moderate thickening power. A brown roux is cooked for 15 to 25 minutes for is used for Espagnole (brown sauce), gravies, and meat stews, and has weak thickening power. A dark roux cooks for 30 to 40 minutes and is used for Cajun gumbo, étouffée, with deep flavor and has the weakest thickening power.