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French Onion Chicken Pasta

Closeup of caramelized onion chicken pasta in a large skillet.
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This French Onion Chicken Pasta is full of classic French onion soup flavors but is in the form of a delicious one pot pasta dish! Packed with jammy caramelized onion, seared chicken pieces, pasta, baby spinach, and savory and nutty Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, it’s a delicious cozy meal the whole family will love!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken:

  • 1.1 pounds / 500 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ¾ TSP Fine Sea Salt (or 1.5 TSP kosher salt), to taste
  • ¼ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ TSP freshly cracked Italian Seasoning
  • ½ TSP Garlic Powder
  • ½ TBSP Olive Oil, for cooking

French Onion Pasta:

  • 2 large / 400 grams Yellow Onion – thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves / 30 grams Garlic – minced
  • 8-10 pieces / 30 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional, I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish – note 1*)
  • 1 TBSP Unsalted Butter
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil, for cooking
  • ¼ TSP Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ cup / 118ml Dry White Wine (I used a sauvignon blanc, but unoaked chardonnay or pinot grigio works too)
  • 1000ml / 4 cups Chicken Broth (or beef broth)
  • ½ TSP Fine Sea Salt, to taste
  • ¼ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ TSP Dried Oregano
  • ½ TSP Dried Thyme
  • 1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional – note 2*), to taste
  • ½ TSP ground Cayenne (optional – note 2*), to taste
  • 10.6 ounces / 300 grams uncooked Whole Wheat Pasta Shells (or any short-cut pasta shape)
  • Water – if and as needed to cook the pasta
  • ½ cup / 120ml Full Cream Evaporated Milk
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 4 cups / 132 grams Baby Spinach
  • ¾ cup / 50 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan Cheese)
  • To Serve: Reserved freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, sliced Fresh Basil

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Mix to coat, set aside.
  2. Prepare the rest of the ingredients: Chop/slice the yellow onion, garlic, chilies as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Measure out the evaporated milk and chicken broth in separate measuring cups and grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese using a box grater.

French Onion Chicken Pasta:

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep edged skillet, sauté pan, or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and spread them out in the pan. Allow to sear for 1 minute, then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another minute or so. Sauté for 2 minutes until browned and just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside. You can store the chicken in the fridge until ready to use.
  2. Caramelize the onions: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook over low heat, sautéing occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and deep golden brown – about 35-40 minutes.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: Turn the heat back up to medium and add the garlic and chilies. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
  4. Deglaze: Pour in the dry white wine and mix to deglaze the pan. Simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated.
  5. Add the broth and seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the remaining seasonings – salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Turn the heat back up to high and bring to a boil.
  6. Add the pasta: Add the pasta shells and mix to spread out the pieces so that they are fully submerged in the liquid. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is al-dente and broth has mostly been absorbed. (Note: Keep in mind different pastas will have different simmering and cooking times. The time for cooking will also vary depending on the size of your cooking pan, skillet or Dutch oven. If you find the broth has been absorbed before the pasta has become tender, add more water as needed until tender and cooked.)
  7. Stir in the evaporated milk: Pour in the evaporated milk and stir to combine.
  8. Stir in the baby spinach: Add the baby spinach and mix until just wilted.
  9. Add the cheese: Stir in most of the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (reserve about ¼ cup for garnish) and add the Worcestershire sauce. Mix until the cheese has fully melted and everything is evenly combined. Switch off the heat.
  10. Add the cooked chicken: Add the cooked chicken and mix until evenly combined and heated through.
  11. Serve: Divide evenly onto plates or in bowls and garnish with the remaining grated cheese and fresh sliced basil. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Chilies. Leave them out for a milder dish or if dining with children.
  2. Ground Cayenne & Crushed Red Pepper. Use less or omit for a milder dish.
  3. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. Garnish with more grated cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired after reheating.
  4. To freeze. Once cooked, divide into freezer friendly airtight containers and allow to cool completely. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until warm throughout. Garnish with more grated cheese and fresh basil or chopped parsley just before eating. You can also reheat this dish in a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water so that it doesn’t become dry. Then plate up and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and basil.
  5. Be patient when caramelizing the onions. Slow and low heat will develop the best caramelized flavors. Some people like to add sugar to quicken the process or are tempted to crank up the heat. However, take your time with this step as it’s what makes up the main flavors in this dish.
  6. Make ahead tips. You can caramelize the onions a day in advance and also cook the seasoned chicken pieces. Simply store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge overnight. Then when ready to cook the rest of this dish, all you need to do is warm up the caramelized onions in the pan, sauté the aromatics, add the pasta and chicken broth and cook the rest of the pasta dish as indicated! You can also caramelize the onions months in advance and store in the freezer. See ‘FAQs’ for how to freeze caramelized onions.
  7. Use shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked leftover chicken. To make dish quicker and easier to make, add shredded chicken into the pan when you would add the cooked chicken and let it heat through.
  8. See the ‘Variations’ section if you would like to customize this French onion chicken pasta for specific dietary needs or use a different protein.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/french-onion-chicken-pasta/