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French Onion Pasta with Chicken

The classic, comforting soup transforms into a complete meal with a family-friendly recipe for French Onion Pasta with Chicken.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients  

  • 12 oz. uncooked short pasta, such as shells, rotini or orecchiette 
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons beef bouillon paste
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnishing

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/4 cups pasta water then drain the pasta and set it aside. 
  • Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed stock pot set over medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, season it with salt and pepper then brown it on all sides until it is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a bowl and set it aside.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet then add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. 
  • Increase the heat to high then add the sherry, and cook while scraping up any brown bits, for 1 minute. Stir in the flour then cook for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the beef bouillon paste, Worcestershire sauce, heavy cream and 1 ¼ cups pasta water. Simmer the sauce for 2 minutes. 
  • Stir in the pasta, browned chicken and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes, then serve. 
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