Carmelized

I have found that Sunday night usually calls for the easiest possible dinner recipe. Today, the easiest possible dinner recipe meant some carmelized onions (no less than 3 months old), thyme, vegetable margarine, whole wheat pasta and parmesan cheese.

The Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/336532/pappardelle-with-caramelized-onions-and?czone=food/vegetarian-cnt/vegetarian-favorite-recipes&backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/vegetarian-lasagna-pasta-recipes#slide_34



Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package (8.8 ounces) pappardelle pasta or 8 ounces fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, without stirring, until onions have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. When bottom of skillet darkens, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon (you may need to do this 2 or 3 times).
   
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When onions have about 10 minutes left to cook, add pasta to water in pot, and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
   
3. Add onions and butter to pasta in pot; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Gradually add enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve pasta topped with Parmesan. 
   
   Cook's Note

The secret to this pasta is cooking the onions until they're a deep golden brown; to keep them intact, stir only occasionally. Pappardelle, like other egg-based noodles, cook very quickly (even when sold dried). We like this pasta with butter-and-cheese sauces, such as this one.