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Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta

Vegan caramelized onion pasta with a golden-amber onion sauce coats rigatoni until creamy, not greasy. Slow-cooked onions, a quick garlic-thyme bloom, and pasta-water tossing create a silky finish with nutritional yeast “parmesan.”
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or spaghetti
Caramelized onion sauce
  • 4 onions thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 0.5 cup pasta cooking water reserve; plus extra as needed
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 0.5 fresh parsley for serving
  • 1 extra nutritional yeast for serving
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Heat olive oil and vegan butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply caramelized and golden.
Build the flavor
  1. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme to the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir just until fragrant and softened.
Deglaze
  1. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
Finish the sauce base
  1. Stir in balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes. Cook briefly to combine flavors, then keep warm while you cook the pasta.
Cook and toss
  1. Cook the rigatoni or spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
Make it creamy
  1. Toss drained pasta with the caramelized onions, nutritional yeast, and reserved pasta water until creamy. Add more pasta water a splash at a time only if needed for a silky coating.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with fresh parsley. Finish with extra nutritional yeast if you like an extra cheesy topping.

Notes

Pro tip: caramelize the onions patiently—keep the heat medium-low and stir every few minutes so they turn golden-amber instead of burning. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because the onion sauce can separate after thawing. For a nut-free option, choose a vegan butter brand made without cashews (many are soy-based).