Pasta has a special place in the hearts of millions. Be it linguine, tagliatelle, penne, or ravioli, the never-ending shapes, textures, and flavors earned pasta a special seat at the culinary table of every cuisine around the world. Today, we’re bringing you a delicious homemade pasta dish crafted by Egyptian-Indian culinary guru, Sarah Khanna. Combining the warmth of a pasta and chicken casserole with the richness of a French onion soup, this delicious pasta recipe is a flavorful twist of two iconic classic dishes, perfect for a hearty, cozy family meal. Check out Sarah Khanna’s French Onion Soup Pasta Bake.
Ingredients:
400 grams of penne pasta
1 bag of mozzarella cheese
400 grams of chicken
For the cheese sauce:
70g of butter
4 heaped tablespoons of flour
1 chicken stock cube
1 liter water
250 ml double cream
200g of edam cheese
1 tsp of black pepper
Salt, to taste
For the caramelized onions:
30g of butter
1 kg of onions, sliced
1 tablespoon of sugar
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Cut chicken into strips or small cubes. Season the chicken with pepper and some dark soy sauce and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- In a cooking pot, put the water and before it starts boiling, add some salt. Add 400 grams of pasta into the pot. Cook the pasta until it reaches an al dente texture.
- In a pan, add a cube of butter to melt and cook the chicken thoroughly until it reaches a golden color then set the chicken aside.
- Peel one kilo of onions in halves. Slice the onions into small pieces – but not too small so that it doesn’t wither while cooking.
- In the same pan where we cooked the chicken, add a large cube of butter, then put the chopped onions and stir. Add a dash of ground pepper. When the onions start to change color, add a large tablespoon of sugar and stir. Continue stirring the onions and flip from bottom to top so that the onions are browned and cooked equally. Add a bit of soy sauce which will add some color and saltiness to the onions. When the onions turn brown and become tender, turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a separate pot, add 70 grams of butter and when it starts melting, add 4 heaped tablespoons of Breadfast’s patent flour and stir thoroughly. Add a cube of chicken stock followed by a liter of water to create a velouté sauce. Creating a stock-based velouté sauce instead of béchamel sauce helps bring out the flavors in both the onions and the chicken. Leave the velouté sauce to thicken.
- Once the sauce starts thickening, add 150 grams of edam cheese. Stir the mixture until the cheese melts and the sauce reaches a smooth and creamy texture.
- Pour the boiled pasta into the silky sauce, then add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper. Then add the chicken followed by the cooked onions. Stir the mixture together until well combined.
- In a baking or classic casserole dish, start plating the pasta, chicken, and onions evenly, and top them with mozzarella cheese. Add the casserole dish into the oven until the cheese melts and has a nice golden color. Serve warm.
