Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta

This Caramelized Onion Pasta is a great pantry-friendly meal that also happens to be perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Dairy-free, creamy and delicious.

Close up side view of a bowl of caramelized onion pasta served topped with fresh parsley leaves.

Budget-friendly, pantry-friendly and delicious. Yes, all three things are possible with this Caramelized Onion Pasta. And, if you time everything right, you can make this quickly too. It’s full of umami flavors with a nice subtle tangy sweet flavor from the balsamic glaze that is added.

This easy weeknight dinner is a favorite among my pasta recipes and you might even have most of the ingredients on hand already!

Why You’ll Love This Caramelized Onion Pasta

  • Pantry-friendly. This means you can keep the ingredients on hand for a long time and whip this up whenever you like.
  • Cooks in less than 30 minutes. This meal comes together quick because there is not much to prep in advance to make this. It makes it for a delicious and easy weeknight meal.
  • Full of flavor. Even though we are using minimal ingredients, each ingredient plus the way it is prepared will help to add depth of flavor to this overall dish.
Cutting board topped with a bowl of dry pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, two yellow onions, bulb of garlic and balsamic glaze.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Pasta: Lots of variety of pasta you can use for this dish. You can also pack in a lot of protein and make this gluten-free by using a high protein pasta like a lentil or chickpea based pasta.
  • Onion: I recommend using yellow onion for this, but you can also do a mix of yellow onions and shallots if desired.
  • Garlic: Use as much or little garlic as needed. Since we are using basic ingredients, I tend to lean towards more garlic for flavor.
  • Balsamic Glaze: This helps to add a tangy sweetness to the dish. You can also replace with 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes: This will add some umami to your dish. I recommend using the type packed in oil and to save time, see if you can grab ones that are already julienned (less chopping is a win).
  • Tamari: This is a form of soy sauce typically made without wheat. You can use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos (another gluten-free option) if desired.
  • Seasonings: I used Italian seasoning as a short cut, but feel free to use more or less of any dry herb you love. The pepper flakes are optional, they add a fun spicy heat to the meal.

How to Make Caramelized Onion Pasta

Fill one large pot with water for the pasta and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the oil to warm through. Once warm, add the onions along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until you start noticing some brown streaks on the surface of the pan. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and stir into the onions to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking the onions, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent the onions from sticking or burning until they become a deep golden brown color (this will take about 15 minutes).

Add in the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and sauté with the onions until the garlic is cooked through and the onions are jammy, about 3-4 minutes. Continue deglazing the pan as needed.

While the onions are cooking, begin boiling the water for the pasta. Salt the water generously and once boiling add in the pasta and cook according to package. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

To the onions add the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic glaze, soy sauce, cream and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Stir well to combine then fold in the pasta and parsley. If needed add more pasta water until the pasta is at the level of creaminess you like.

Serve the pasta as is or pair with your favorite protein like roasted chickpeas or tofu.

Stirring the sauce into the pasta in a large skillet.

Expert Tips

  • Deglaze the pan frequently. You will notice brown bits staining and sticking to the bottom of your pan. These are the natural sugars in your onions. When you see them accumulate and dry over the bottom of the pan or the onions start to stick more, just make sure to add a splash of water and stir to scrape it up. This will also help cook the onions faster.
  • Generously salt the pasta water. Salting your pasta water will help your pasta absorb some of the salt (not all) from the water giving it more flavor. If you are afraid of adding too much salt, this guide can help you gain more confidence.
  • Reserve extra pasta water. Even though I don’t use all of it, I do recommend reserving some extra pasta water so you can adjust the creaminess of the sauce to your liking as everyone’s preference is a little different.
  • Use store bought or make your own vegan cream. To make your own, you can take 1/2 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds and soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a high speed blender cup with 1/4 cup of water and blend on high until smooth. Make sure to measure out 1/2 cup before adding to the pasta and save any extra for a future dish. For other options including a nut-free option, reference this great article on cream replacements.
Large white bowl with creamy onion pasta and topped with fresh parsley leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store leftovers?

Once the pasta has cooled, add the pasta to an airtight storage container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How do I reheat leftovers?

As pasta sits it can start to dry out. To help reheat, place your pasta in a microwave safe dish to cook in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop and add a splash of water. As the pasta warms up, make sure to mix and add additional water as needed to help loosen the pasta up and make it creamy again. Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy.

Can this be made gluten-free?

Yes. Make this gluten-free by using a gluten-free pasta that you love. You also want to make sure that the soy sauce you are using is gluten-free. If you can’t find gluten-free soy sauce, you can swap the soy sauce for a wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos.

Caramelized onion pasta served in a white dish topped with roasted chickpeas and fresh parsley leaves.

How to Make Pasta a Complete Meal

Pasta is often served as a first course (primo) solo component and can then follow up with a secondary course. If pasta does not fill you up on it’s own you can serve it with a number of different protein options either on top or on the side.

For protein, I love this pasta with some crunchy roasted chickpeas, seasoned tempeh or with some baked tofu.

You can add additional vegetables to this. When adding the pasta, stir in some kale or spinach and allow it to wilt before serving.

More Healthy Pasta Dishes to Try

Caramelized onion pasta served in a white bowl topped with vegan parm and fresh parsley leaves.
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Close up side view of a bowl of caramelized onion pasta served topped with fresh parsley leaves.

Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Caramelized Onion Pasta is a great pantry-friendly meal that also happens to be perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Dairy-free, creamy and delicious.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • Water, for deglazing the pan
  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, jarred packed in oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup store bought or homemade vegan cream
  • 2 cups dry Orecchiette pasta or 4 servings of favorite pasta (plus 1 cup reserved pasta water)
  • 1/4 cup freshly minced parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Fill one large pot with water for the pasta and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the oil to warm through. Once warm, add the onions along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until you start noticing some brown streaks on the surface of the pan. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and stir into the onions to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking the onions, adding a splash of water as needed to prevent the onions from sticking or burning until they become a deep golden brown color (this will take about 15 minutes).
  2. Add in the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and sauté with the onions until the garlic is cooked through and the onions are jammy, about 3-4 minutes. Continue deglazing the pan as needed.
  3. While the onions are cooking, begin boiling the water for the pasta. Salt the water generously and once boiling add in the pasta and cook according to package. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
  4. To the onions add the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic glaze, soy sauce, cream and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Stir well to combine then fold in the pasta and parsley. If needed add more pasta water until the pasta is at the level of creaminess you like.
  5. Serve the pasta as is or pair with your favorite protein like roasted chickpeas or tofu.

Notes

Deglaze the pan frequently. You will notice brown bits staining and sticking to the bottom of your pan. These are the natural sugars in your onions. When you see them accumulate and dry over the bottom of the pan or the onions start to stick more, just make sure to add a splash of water and stir to scrape it up. This will also help cook the onions faster.

Generously salt the pasta water. Salting your pasta water will help your pasta absorb some of the salt (not all) from the water giving it more flavor. If you are afraid of adding too much salt, this guide can help you gain more confidence.

Reserve extra pasta water. Even though I don’t use all of it, I do recommend reserving some extra pasta water so you can adjust the creaminess of the sauce to your liking as everyone’s preference is a little different.

Use store bought or make your own vegan cream. To make your own, you can take 1/2 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds and soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a high speed blender cup with 1/4 cup of water and blend on high until smooth. Make sure to measure out 1/2 cup before adding to the pasta and save any extra for a future dish. For other options including a nut-free option, reference this great article on cream replacements.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

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