BUTTER-COOKED ONIONS WITH PASTA SPIRALS For this simple but delicious side dish, the onions become tender and acquire sweetness when cooked slowly in butter and olive oil with fresh thyme and a bay leaf, before being tossed with fusilli, or pasta spirals. To serve this dish with roast turkey or chicken, you can substitute olive oil for the butter and omit the cheese and cream. You can cook the onions up to 2 days ahead and keep them in a covered dish in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a large skillet over low heat.2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil 2 or 3 Tbsp. butter 2 large onions (450 gr. or 1 pound total), halved, cut in thin slices Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 tsp. dried leaf, crumbled 1 bay leaf 1⁄3 cup heavy cream (optional) 225 gr. (8 oz.) fusilli, rotini or other spiral-shaped pasta (about 31⁄2 cups) 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, if desired Bowl of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired (for serving)Heat oil and 1 or 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and sauté, stirring often, for about 25 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to medium-high and sauté, stirring, until onions lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add cream and cook, stirring, until most of it is absorbed. Discard bay leaf.Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt, then pasta. Cook uncovered over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well.Add pasta to skillet of onions, add remaining tablespoon butter and toss gently over low heat until well combined and butter melts. Transfer to a heated serving dish and add cheese if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with more cheese, if desired. Makes 4 side-dish servings. BAKED ONIONS This recipe is from Onions by Mara Reid Rogers, who notes that onions take a while to bake but that the dish is easy to prepare for baking with their glaze of butter, honey and ketchup. “The heat forces the pre-cut onion sections to open up, causing them to look like the petals of a flower. Meanwhile, the texture loses its crunchiness and becomes supple, mellow with true onion flavor – a simple, old-fashioned culinary delight.”6 medium onions, about 7.5 cm. (3 inches) in diameter (about 1.25 kg. or 23⁄4 pounds) 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine, melted 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. ketchup 1 tsp. paprika 1⁄2 tsp. saltPreheat oven to 205ºC (400ºF).To prepare the onions: Cut a very thin slice from the root end of each onion so that it can stand upright, but don’t penetrate into the interior of the bulb. Cut a very thin slice off the top to remove the stem. Peel, and cut an “X” 5 cm. (2 inches) into each onion top. Arrange the onions, root ends down, in a baking dish that is large enough to hold them in one layer snugly; a 23-cm. (9-inch) square baking dish works well.To make the glaze: Combine the melted butter, honey, ketchup, paprika and salt in a small bowl and stir until well blended.Spoon the glaze evenly over the onions and “tent” the baking dish with aluminum foil. (Cover with foil, but do not let the foil rest on the glaze.) Bake the onions in the middle of the oven for 1 hour or until they test very tender when pierced with a fork. (Note: Cooking time may be longer, depending on the size of the onions.) Spoon some of the glaze over each onion and serve hot as a side dish. Faye Levy is the author of the award-winning book Faye Levy’s International Vegetable Cookbook.
Giving thanks with onions
How about creamed onions at Thanksgiving this year?
BUTTER-COOKED ONIONS WITH PASTA SPIRALS For this simple but delicious side dish, the onions become tender and acquire sweetness when cooked slowly in butter and olive oil with fresh thyme and a bay leaf, before being tossed with fusilli, or pasta spirals. To serve this dish with roast turkey or chicken, you can substitute olive oil for the butter and omit the cheese and cream. You can cook the onions up to 2 days ahead and keep them in a covered dish in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a large skillet over low heat.2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil 2 or 3 Tbsp. butter 2 large onions (450 gr. or 1 pound total), halved, cut in thin slices Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 tsp. dried leaf, crumbled 1 bay leaf 1⁄3 cup heavy cream (optional) 225 gr. (8 oz.) fusilli, rotini or other spiral-shaped pasta (about 31⁄2 cups) 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, if desired Bowl of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired (for serving)Heat oil and 1 or 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and sauté, stirring often, for about 25 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to medium-high and sauté, stirring, until onions lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add cream and cook, stirring, until most of it is absorbed. Discard bay leaf.Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt, then pasta. Cook uncovered over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well.Add pasta to skillet of onions, add remaining tablespoon butter and toss gently over low heat until well combined and butter melts. Transfer to a heated serving dish and add cheese if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with more cheese, if desired. Makes 4 side-dish servings. BAKED ONIONS This recipe is from Onions by Mara Reid Rogers, who notes that onions take a while to bake but that the dish is easy to prepare for baking with their glaze of butter, honey and ketchup. “The heat forces the pre-cut onion sections to open up, causing them to look like the petals of a flower. Meanwhile, the texture loses its crunchiness and becomes supple, mellow with true onion flavor – a simple, old-fashioned culinary delight.”6 medium onions, about 7.5 cm. (3 inches) in diameter (about 1.25 kg. or 23⁄4 pounds) 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine, melted 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. ketchup 1 tsp. paprika 1⁄2 tsp. saltPreheat oven to 205ºC (400ºF).To prepare the onions: Cut a very thin slice from the root end of each onion so that it can stand upright, but don’t penetrate into the interior of the bulb. Cut a very thin slice off the top to remove the stem. Peel, and cut an “X” 5 cm. (2 inches) into each onion top. Arrange the onions, root ends down, in a baking dish that is large enough to hold them in one layer snugly; a 23-cm. (9-inch) square baking dish works well.To make the glaze: Combine the melted butter, honey, ketchup, paprika and salt in a small bowl and stir until well blended.Spoon the glaze evenly over the onions and “tent” the baking dish with aluminum foil. (Cover with foil, but do not let the foil rest on the glaze.) Bake the onions in the middle of the oven for 1 hour or until they test very tender when pierced with a fork. (Note: Cooking time may be longer, depending on the size of the onions.) Spoon some of the glaze over each onion and serve hot as a side dish. Faye Levy is the author of the award-winning book Faye Levy’s International Vegetable Cookbook.