Go Back
an ordinary shallow bowl of spaghetti strands and browned ground-beef crumbles tangled with deeply golden soft onion ribbons in a brown sauce lightly coated with melted Gruyere, with no baked cheese crust, mushrooms or garnish
Rachel Kim

French Onion Beef Pasta

French onion pasta takes longer than the other hamburger skillets because the onions need to become properly brown before the beef and broth arrive. Give them that time. Broken spaghetti cooks directly in the onion-rich liquid, and Gruyère melts into the strands instead of becoming a separate baked gratin top. A little sherry vinegar sharpens the finish without making the sauce sour. Keep a cup of the measured water near the stove while the onions cook, because a spoonful can release the dark coating on the pan and keep it in the onions instead of letting it turn into a burnt patch you have to scrub away.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1 cup water divided and reserved as needed
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 8 oz dry spaghetti broken in half
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 4 oz Gruyere finely grated

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a deep 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and soft; add up to 1/2 cup of the measured water a tablespoon at a time to loosen browning before it burns.
  2. Push onions aside, add beef and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it finely and stirring it into the onions once browned, until the meat reaches 160°F. Spoon off excess fat.
  3. Add thyme, pepper, remaining salt and broth and scrape the pan. Bring to a simmer and add broken spaghetti, separating the strands with tongs.
  4. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 to 13 minutes until pasta is tender, lifting and stirring often. Use the remaining reserved water as needed to keep a shallow layer of sauce in the pan.
  5. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and wait 1 minute. Fold in Gruyere a small handful at a time until melted and serve promptly while the onion sauce is soft.