One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake

 If you love French Onion Soup, you will love this pasta dish! It's my favorite amongst all the baked pasta dishes that I've tried. 

One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake

(Source: Half Baked Harvest) 

4 tablespoons butter

2-3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons honey

1 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 cups cremini or wild mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)

kosher salt and black pepper

3 cups low sodium chicken broth (use vegetable broth, if vegetarian)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (use soy sauce, if vegetarian)

2 leaves bay leaves

1 pound of your favorite short cut pasta

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper using more or less to your taste

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whole milk, or canned coconut milk

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (optional)

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter, onions, and honey together in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. At this point, you want to slowly add 1/2 cup of the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 8-10 minutes until you've used the 1/2 cup of wine and the onions are deeply caramelized.

Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook another 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine, the broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente and the broth has been absorbed, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, cream, gorgonzola, if using, and 1/2 cup gruyere cheese. Remove from the heat. If needed, transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh thyme. Enjoy!