French Onion Pastina Recipes

FRENCH ONION PANADE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325.
• Divide bread slices among 2 or 3 baking sheets. Spread bread out in a single layer, and toast for 20 minutes, then flip slices, and rotate pans to ensure even toasting. Toast until dried out and lightly golden, about 35 minutes total. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425, and adjust oven rack to center position.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
• Once the onions cook down a bit and release some liquid, remove lid and increase heat to medium high. Continue cooking and stirring regularly until onions are tender and dark golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Turn off heat, add vinegar and wine and stir to deglaze. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed - the onions should be sweet, savory and pleasantly tangy. Spoon onions into a heatproof bowl, and set aside.
• Return pot to stove. Add stock and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste, and adjust salt as needed - it should taste like good chicken soup.
• Place both cheeses in a medium bowl, and mix to combine.
• Butter the inside of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with a layer of toasted bread, breaking up pieces as needed to form a solid layer. Spoon half the onion mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and season with pepper. Continue layering with bread, the remainder of the onions and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top off with a final layer of bread.
• Ladle 3 cups of stock over the panade, then wait a minute, and allow the bread to absorb liquid. Pressing down on panade with a metal spatula, add as much stock as the panade will absorb without overflowing. Dot the top layer of bread with remaining butter, then cover with parchment paper and foil. Place baking dish atop baking sheet to catch any overflow, then slide onto the center rack. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and parchment, sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Bake until golden brown.
• Remove panade from oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat to serve.

FRENCH ONION PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and shallots and cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar well. Continue to cook over medium heat until well caramelized, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir occasionally, being sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• While onions cook, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain. Set aside and keep warm.
• Bone chicken and cut meat into chunks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Add flour, thyme, and garlic to the caramelized onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add Marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add beef broth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking continually until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add Greek yogurt and mix well.
• Stir pasta, chicken, and mozzarella cheese into the sauce. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into an oven-safe dish. Top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme for fancier presentation at serving.

FRENCH ONION BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Rub a small splash of olive oil across an 8-inch baking dish, or equivalent.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, onion dip mix, and milk. Add the eggs and whisk well again. Arrange the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Very slowly, drizzle the liquid mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center. Bake the strata, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the egg is set and puffy and the edges are golden brown. (Cut into it to be sure it is well cooked.)
• Serve the strata warm, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with chives.

FRENCH ONION PASTINA

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium in a large deep saucepan until it shimmers. Add onions and saute slowly until very soft and a deep mahogany color, 25-30 minutes. If the onions stick, add a small amount of cold water and scrape with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sticking solids.
• Remove about 1/4 of the cooked onions to a bowl; reserve for use as garnish.
• Sprinkle flour into pot and stir well to coat. Add beef stock and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and add pasta. Cover pan and simmer until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed (6-9 minutes, depending on size and shape of pasta). Stir once or twice during cooking.
• Off heat, stir in Parmesan. Serve, topped with remaining onions and parmesan frico.