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This month, we’re featuring three-ingredient pastas to whip together for friends and family. (Just add wine!) Today, Lindsay from The Live-In Kitchen shares her recipe for this rich, melty combination of onions, garlic and cheese. Here’s how she does it…
Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions, Garlic and Gorgonzola
by Lindsay Moe of The Live-In Kitchen
My family loves pasta, but I get tired of the old red sauce/white sauce debate. Rigatoni with caramelized onions, garlic and gorgonzola creates something completely out of the ordinary and delicious. I love how easily this flavorful pasta comes together. While it takes a little time to caramelize the onions, it’s mostly hands-off work and everything happens quickly.
Using a cast iron or stainless steel skillet will allow your onions to caramelize perfectly—you just won’t get the same outcome in a non-stick skillet. Make sure to reserve some of the pasta water, which you’ll use to deglaze the onion pan and create an almost invisible sauce that will adhere to the pasta. Gorgonzola can be a little salty, so you should wait until the dish is finished to add salt. These few simple ingredients melt together to create a truly rich, unique flavor.
Recipe: Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions, Garlic and Gorgonzola
What you need:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 small sweet onions
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb rigatoni
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat.
Cut the ends off the onions, remove outer skin, cut in half, then slice thinly from end to end. Add onions and garlic to the oil and stir to coat in oil. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the onions and garlic to cook, barely sizzling and stirring every 5-10 minutes. The onions and garlic are done when they are soft and golden, 40-60 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to burn. If things are browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package directions. Just before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Once the onions are completely caramelized, add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan, scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir until the onions have almost completely absorbed the water and add the gorgonzola cheese. Stir for about a minute or until the cheese just begins to melt. If the mixture looks dry at all you can add a bit more pasta water. Transfer the entire mixture to the pot with the pasta, making sure to get all of the oil and any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir thoroughly to coat the pasta with the cheese, onions, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thank you so much, Lindsay!
P.S. More recipes, including roasted mushrooms and caesar salad with a twist. And for dessert, 15-minute chocolate pudding.
(Photos and recipe by Lindsay Moe. Thanks to Caroline Donofrio for helping with this series)
