French Onion Soup Pasta (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Breadcrumbs

01 - 1/2 baguette, cut into cubes
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
05 - 2 teaspoons dried oregano

→ Pasta

06 - 300 g cavatappi macaroni
07 - 5 onions, thinly sliced
08 - 120 ml beef broth
09 - 720 ml heavy cream
10 - 100 g Parmesan cheese, grated
11 - 1 tablespoon wheat flour
12 - 45 ml cold water
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
15 - 2 teaspoons salt
16 - 1 tablespoon garlic powder
17 - 1 tablespoon smoked paprika powder
18 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 175°C. Toss baguette cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Spread on a baking tray and toast for 10–12 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool and pulse briefly in a food processor for coarse breadcrumbs.
02 - Thinly slice onions into long strips. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing them to caramelize slowly without burning. Add sugar to accelerate caramelization if desired.
03 - If onions start sticking, pour in beef broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to ensure rich flavor. Once caramelized, remove from heat and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over low-medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add heavy cream, whisking continuously. Let the sauce thicken. Add cold water if the sauce becomes lumpy and whisk until smooth.
05 - Stir in two-thirds of the caramelized onions to the béchamel. Let simmer. Add salt, chopped parsley, garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
06 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cavatappi and cook until just under al dente. Drain pasta well.
07 - Combine drained pasta with the béchamel-onion mixture, stirring gently to ensure even coating.
08 - Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased baking dish. Top evenly with remaining caramelized onions and prepared breadcrumbs.
09 - Bake uncovered at 175°C for 10–15 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp. Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley if desired.

# Notes:

01 - For extra flavor, prepare the caramelized onions ahead of time and store refrigerated until needed.
02 - Chill the water before adding to the béchamel if lumps appear. This helps quickly resolve texture issues.
03 - Use day-old bread for breadcrumbs to achieve an extra crisp topping.

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