This Easy French Onion Pasta takes the classic soup and turns it into the creamiest, dreamiest Instant Pot dinner. No need for hours at the stove stirring onions — this recipe comes together in 50 minutes from start to finish. Toss in fresh thyme, sage, a touch of cream, and some melty Gruyère and you have a restaurant-worthy meal in the comfort of your own home!
I’m back with another soup that tastes better as a pasta dish! I really riled up some people last year when I posted my French Onion Chicken recipe and said that I don’t love French onion soup. Maybe I need to give it another shot, but I truly think that all of the same flavors just taste way better in both a chicken and pasta dish. Therefore, my easy French onion pasta recipe was born!
To make our lives a bit easier, I developed this French onion pasta recipe in the instant pot. Because making traditional stove-top caramelized onions can take upwards of an hour, and I simply don’t have the patience for that most days! And before the caramelized onion police come for me, I’m very aware that the instant pot doesn’t yield the exact same results. In fact, the onions become much more mushy and jammy…which is PERFECT for a recipe like this.
I love the convenience of this recipe coming together all in one pot so there’s minimal dishes to clean up at the end. It has most of the same components that you love from a French onion soup (think: rich beef broth, melty gruyere, sweet caramelized onions) and it’s boosted with some extra fall flavor thanks to fresh sage, thyme & a bit of apple cider. Cozy, flavorful & so dang delicious!
Why You’ll Love this French Onion Pasta (Instant Pot)
- It’s everything you love about French onion soup, but in the form of a cozy pasta dish!
- It’s made in the instant pot to speed things up & minimize clean-up.
- This French onion pasta is a restaurant-quality meal at home!
- It features a fall spin, with fresh sage, thyme & apple cider.
- You can have this on the table in under an hour!
What You Need to Make this Instant Pot French Onion Pasta
- Unsalted Butter: For sweating the onions in. You could also substitute some olive oil.
- Yellow Onion: What’s French onion pasta without the onions!? You’ll need 3 medium-large yellow onions for this recipe.
- Beef Broth: A bit of broth/stock for pressure cooking the onions (to avoid a burn notice) and then more later on for cooking the pasta in. Make this vegetarian by using veggie broth!
- Baking Soda: Baking soda raises the pH of the onions to accelerate the caramelization. Just a very small amount goes a long way!
- Garlic: Fresh minced is best, and don’t be shy 😉
- Fresh Sage & Thyme: To give this French onion pasta even more fall flavor, we are adding in a generous amount of both fresh chopped sage & thyme.
- Apple Cider: To deglaze the pan. You can substitute a dry white wine for a more traditional option, or more beef broth.
- Pipe Rigate Pasta: This pasta shape really gives it that restaurant-quality feel, and it catches the sauce beautifully. You may also find it called lumache or “shellbows.”
- Heavy Cream: To finish the pasta with.
- Gruyere: This is the classic choice for French onion anything. I like to do a mix of normal gruyere and aged gruyere for a balance of flavors. In a pinch, try substituting swiss or fontina.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Season to taste.
How To Make this One Pot French Onion Pasta
Pressure Cook Onions:
Turn your instant pot to high sauté mode. Once preheated, add butter and let melt. Then, add onions, season with kosher salt & stir. Pour in 2 tbsp of beef broth, seal the instant pot and switch it to high pressure cook mode for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure.
Sauté Onions until Soft & Caramelized:
Strain off excess liquid from the onions, then return them to the pot and turn it to high sauté mode. Sprinkle on the baking soda, and sauté for ~15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. If at any point the onions seem to be burning, deglaze with a small amount of beef broth. By the end, they should have darkened in color and be very soft and mushy.
Add in Garlic, Sage & Thyme, Deglaze:
Add in garlic, sage & thyme, stir, and let cook for 1 more minute. Then deglaze the pot with apple cider, scrapping up any browned bits at the bottom. Add in the pasta and stir.
Cover Pasta with Broth & Pressure Cook:
Seal the instant pot and switch it to high pressure cook mode. To calculate your cook time, use this formula: (package cook time ÷ 2) – 1 minute. For example: if the package says 10 minutes, you’ll cook it for 4 minutes in the instant pot (10÷2 = 5, then 5-1 = 4). Manually release the pressure.
Stir in Heavy Cream & Gruyere:
Pour in the heavy cream & stir to combine. Then, gradually add in the gruyere, stirring until melted after each addition. Taste and add more kosher salt & black pepper as needed. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Tips & Tricks:
First off, I have only tested this French Onion Pasta recipe in my Instant Pot Rio Mini. All instant pot models have both the sauté and pressure cook functions & operate similarly, so you should be good! Here are some tips & tricks to execute this recipe perfectly:
- Add a small amount of broth to the onions before pressure cooking to prevent a burn notice: The onions will naturally release their own liquid as well, so a burn notice is unlikely, but you can prevent it by adding 2 tbsp of beef broth. Then, drain off all excess liquid afterwards.
- It’s okay if the sauté mode doesn’t fully preheat when caramelizing the onions: In step 2 of the recipe, you will switch the instant pot to sauté mode, and it likely won’t get fully pre-heated until towards the end of the 15 minute mark. That’s okay! It will still be hot enough.
- Adjust the amount of broth as needed: You want your pasta to be mostly submerged, but it’s okay if the very top of the pasta is visible. For me, this is usually about 2 cups worth of broth, but it will vary depending on what size instant pot you use and what shape of pasta you use.
- Calculate your pasta cook time with this formula: Divide the package cook time by 2, then subtract 1 to calculate how long you should set your pressure cooker. Always be sure to manually release the pressure to prevent the pasta from overcooking!
Substitution FAQs:
- Can I use gluten free or protein pasta? I have not yet experimented with gluten free or protein pasta, but have heard that it doesn’t hold up well in the instant pot and is prone to overcooking. Please let me know how it goes if you try it!
- What’s the point of the baking soda? It increases the pH of the onions to expedite the caramelization process. You can omit it, but your onions make need a bit more cook time.
- Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh? I always recommend fresh for the best flavor, but in a pinch you can try substituting 1/2 tsp of both dried sage & dried thyme.
- What are some good alternatives to gruyere? Gruyere is the traditional choice for french onion recipes, but can be a bit expensive and harder to find, so feel free to substitute swiss or fontina.
How Should I Store Leftovers?
This French Onion Pasta is one of those recipes that definitely tastes best when eaten fresh, however you can store the cooled down leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. The pasta soaks up a lot of the sauce, so it will dry out. You can re-heat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, and add a splash of beef broth to reconstitute the sauce.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for More Pasta Recipes?
- Easy Broccoli Cheddar Pasta
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta
- Butternut Squash Feta Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta
- High-Protein Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Corn Orzo Pasta with Shrimp
Easy French Onion Pasta
Equipment
- spatula
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 medium yellow onions sliced
- 2 tbsp beef broth
- â…› tsp baking soda
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tbsp chopped thyme
- 6 sage leaves chopped
- ¼ cup apple cider (sub dry white wine or more broth)
- 10 oz dry pipe rigate pasta also called lumache, shellbows
- 1 ¾ – 2 cups beef broth
- â…“ cup heavy cream
- 4 oz freshly shredded gruyere cheese
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn your instant pot to high sauté mode. Once preheated, add butter and let melt. Then, add onions, season with kosher salt & stir. Pour in 2 tbsp of beef broth, seal the instant pot and switch it to high pressure cook mode for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure.2 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 medium yellow onions, 2 tbsp beef broth
- Strain off excess liquid from the onions, then return them to the pot and turn it to high sauté mode. Sprinkle on the baking soda, and sauté for ~15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. If at any point the onions seem to be burning, deglaze with a small amount of beef broth. By the end, they should have darkened in color and be very soft and mushy.⅛ tsp baking soda
- Add in garlic, sage & thyme, stir, and let cook for 1 more minute. Then deglaze the pot with apple cider, scrapping up any browned bits at the bottom. Add in the pasta and stir.4 garlic cloves, ½ tbsp chopped thyme, 6 sage leaves, ¼ cup apple cider, 10 oz dry pipe rigate pasta
- Pour in the beef broth, making sure that the pasta is mostly submerged. The amount of liquid may vary depending on the size of your instant pot, and if you use a different pasta shape.1 ¾ – 2 cups beef broth
- Seal the instant pot and switch it to high pressure cook mode. To calculate your cook time, use this formula: (package cook time ÷ 2) – 1 minute. For example: if the package says 10 minutes, you'll cook it for 4 minutes in the instant pot (10÷2 = 5, then 5-1 = 4). Manually release the pressure.
- Pour in the heavy cream & stir to combine. Then, gradually add in the gruyere, stirring until melted after each addition. Taste and add more kosher salt & black pepper as needed. Enjoy!â…“ cup heavy cream, 4 oz freshly shredded gruyere cheese, kosher salt & black pepper
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.