Email to Cat      

Caramelized Onion and Gruyère Pasta Bake

Source of Recipe

From "The Camp Dutch Oven Cookbook" by Robin Donovan


Recipe Introduction

"This one-pot pasta dish coaxes deep flavor out of a few onions, and then adds flavorful cheese and rich cream for what is really a grown-up version of mac and cheese. Add a bit of mustard, cayenne, or other spices along with the salt and pepper. You can also infuse the pasta with fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary, by adding a sprig or two along with the water and pasta."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 3 sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 4 ¾ cups water
â—¦ 1 (16-ounce) package short-cut pasta (penne, shells, fusilli, etc.)
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
â—¦ 10 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded


Recipe

Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over a bed of 12 hot coals.
Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the water and pasta, and stir to mix.
Remove four of the coals from underneath the pot, cover the pot, and place 20 hot coals on the lid. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Remove the lid, stir in the cream and half of the cheese, and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, move the pot off the bed of coals and replace the lid, including the hot coals. Broil for about 4 more minutes, until the cheese on top is melted. Serve hot.

Serves 6



• Make-Ahead:
You can caramelize the onions at home to save time at the campsite. Store them in a resealable plastic bag or lidded plastic container in your cooler until you're ready to cook.