TikTok's French Onion Pasta Combines Two Unbeatable Comfort Foods

TikTok has changed the way many people cook. Instead of opening up a cookbook, DVR-ing favorite cooking shows, or even pinning recipes on Pinterest, more and more people are looking to TikTok to check out trendy recipes for things like butter boards, whipped coffee, and feta fried eggs. One of the more cozy recipe trends featured on the outlet combines two things that are already comforting by themselves: pasta and French onion soup. French onion pasta dishes are basically the recipe equivalents of wrapping yourself in a thick quilt and sitting by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa, and people are loving them.

Not only is it a masterful blend of luxurious pasta flavored with caramelized onions and cheese, but it's all cooked in one pot, making the dish super convenient. TikTok users have showcased the recipe using all kinds of pasta cuts including bow ties, rigatoni, spaghetti, and rotini, and the recipe appears to work with all of them — although some pastas are better with creamy sauces. In addition, certain recipes utilize Gruyère cheese, which is the traditional cheese that tops French onion soup — while others opt for grated parmesan.

In general, the recipes featured on TikTok for French onion pasta begin by caramelizing onions in a large pot. A word of caution: Whether it's French onion soup you're making or its pasta counterpart, you'll need a lot of onions, so if you don't like the residual onion smell in your house, open a window or freshen your kitchen with these food scraps. Once the onions are soft and browned, add garlic, thyme, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and dried pasta. Everything is simmered until the pasta is cooked, and the dish is then finished with heavy cream and a handful of cheese. Essentially, it's everything that goes into French onion soup except the croutons.

Naturally, with so many people recording their own takes on the recipe, variations have come into play like the aforementioned use of parmesan or a mix of Gruyère and parmesan cheese. Users have added balsamic vinegar, nutmeg, wine vinegar instead of wine, mushrooms, and alfredo sauce in lieu of heavy cream. However it's been made, French onion pasta should be warm, creamy, and full of sweet onion flavor.

French onion pasta certainly isn't the first recipe that has taken inspiration from the comforting French soup. The flavors of the bistro classic are so popular that people have translated them into things like chicken breasts, grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, baked potatoes, bread, and, of course, french onion dip. Try taking your mashed potatoes to another level by making French onion mashed potatoes. Mash or puree cooked potatoes as normal with butter and cream and add a generous portion of caramelized onions and plenty of grated Gruyère cheese. They are so good that you won't even miss the gravy.

If you just can't skip the croutons from French onion soup, make French onion grilled cheeses. Just fill your bread slices with Gruyère and browned onions and the toasted bread will act as your croutons. For French onion chicken, caramelize some onions in a large pan and remove when they are done. Season and flour thinly sliced chicken breasts and brown them in the same skillet. Add some beef broth to the pan and cover until the chicken is cooked. Before serving, top the chicken with the onions and Gruyère, and put the pan under the broiler just long enough to melt and bubble the cheese.