Pasta with Carmelized Spring Onions and White Wine

Um, hello frenzied to do list! We (ridiculously) decided to have a massive garage sale this weekend, so every second of our lives these past few days has been devoted to sorting and finding things to sell. I've actually been quite pleased with how easy it has been to get rid of half of our belongings. You don't really realize how much stuff accumulates in cubbards and on shelves until you start realizing that you have to pay for each square foot of stuff you move. And when you are talking about $50 per square foot, things get cut reaaaal fast! My husband has become just a ruthless machine. I think if it were up to him, we would give away everything that couldn't fit in the back of our Jeep (which, when you factor in the baby and the two dogs, that's not much!) and drive out there today!  Luckily, we have a little bit of time to work with (not much, though, its going so fast!!!), but shelves are still emptying and boxes are still getting filled fairly fast around here. Dinners have gotten really simple.

So, I’ve become maddingly addicted to caramelized onions lately. I just can’t help myself, they just taste and smell so good! Everything recipe that I make now that has onions in it, I think “hmm…can I caramelize those…?” So of course I was really excited to find this recipe. And besides, anytime I can sneak some pasta in our menu, especially in the spring and summer, I jump at the chance.

When I looked up this recipe online, some reviewers said that it was kind of bland. I added a pad of butter to the onions, increased the garlic, threw in some parmesan and thyme to give the flavor a bit of a boost. I was really pleased with this, I thought it tasted great! It had a wonderful flavor, and even though it is a pasta dish, it kind of fools you into thinking that it is a light meal. And the panko breadcrumbs on top are such a fun crunch! It was also really easy to make. I made this on a Tuesday, home late from work, with the baby getting into the pantry, and friends coming over for dinner! So if I can do it, you can, too!  I will definitely be making this again!

Pasta with Caramelized Spring Onions and White Wine – Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine April 2011

 ½  cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
½  teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)  or a Vidalia onion
½  cup dry white wine
¼  cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces uncooked short shaped noodles, (like fusili or rotini)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½  tsp dried thyme
¼  cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine panko, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 garlic clove, and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Spread panko mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after 3 minutes. Cool.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the butter to pan, swirling to coat. Add onions to pan; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining garlic and wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute. Add broth; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes).
Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain. Add pasta, remaining salt, and pepper to onion mixture; toss gently. Place about 1 cup pasta in each of 4 shallow bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons panko mixture.