Caramelized Onion Pasta Chili (Printable)

Pasta tossed with caramelized onions, spicy chili oil, fresh herbs, and Parmesan cheese for a bold flavor blend.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz pasta (spaghetti, penne, or linguine)
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Caramelized Onions

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Chili Oil

07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
11 - 1 teaspoon soy sauce

→ Garnishing

12 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
13 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
14 - Extra chili flakes, optional

# Method:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. Add minced garlic in the final 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Season with black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
02 - In a small saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in chili flakes and paprika, cooking continuously for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Add soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining the pasta through a strainer.
04 - Toss the hot pasta with caramelized onions in the skillet. Drizzle with prepared chili oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Add reserved pasta water in small increments as needed to loosen the sauce to desired consistency.
05 - Transfer pasta to serving plates and top with generous amounts of grated Parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, and additional chili flakes if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those caramelized onions become sweet and jammy, creating a sauce that needs barely any effort but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The homemade chili oil is where the magic lives—spicy, fragrant, and so much better than anything bottled.
  • Ready in under an hour and genuinely impressive, which means you can feed people without stress.
02 -
  • Don't rush the onions—I learned this by trying to speed through them on high heat and ending up with burned edges and no sweetness, which taught me that caramelization is about time and temperature working together, never one without the other.
  • The pasta water is essential because the starch in it creates a silky sauce that clings to every strand, turning what could be dry into something that tastes intentional and balanced.
  • Don't let the garlic in your chili oil brown—once it turns dark, it tastes bitter and ruins the whole careful balance you've built, so watch it like you mean it.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain—this one habit will change how your sauces come together, making them silky instead of clumpy.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the chili flakes and salt; your palate knows better than any recipe what you want to eat, so trust it.
  • Make the chili oil first and let it sit while you're caramelizing onions so the flavors have time to marry and deepen.
Return