Sweet Heat Caramelized Onion Fettuccine (Printable)

Creamy fettuccine with golden caramelized onions, parmesan cream sauce, honey, and chili heat for a perfectly balanced vegetarian pasta.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Caramelized Onions

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
06 - 1 tsp salt

→ Sweet Heat Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 red chili pepper, finely chopped, seeds removed
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1 tbsp honey
12 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook fettuccine in large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and salt. Cook stirring occasionally until onions soften and start to brown, about 10 minutes.
03 - Sprinkle brown sugar over onions and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized and golden, 15-20 more minutes.
04 - Add garlic and red chili pepper to caramelized onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
05 - Stir in honey, heavy cream, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Add cooked fettuccine to skillet. Toss well to coat, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The onions develop this incredible natural sweetness that balances perfectly with the creamy sauce
  • You get that fancy restaurant pasta feeling without needing any complicated techniques
02 -
  • The onions look like a mountain when you start but they cook down to practically nothing so do not be tempted to reduce the amount
  • Low and slow is non negotiable here high heat will burn the onions before they properly caramelize
03 -
  • Use a wide pan rather than a tall one so the onions have more surface area to caramelize evenly
  • If the onions start sticking too much add a splash of water instead of more fat and scrape up those brown bits

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