French Onion Chicken Pasta Bake

4.88 from 8 votes

This easy and cheesy French Onion Chicken Pasta Bake combines the best of both worlds - classic French onion soup and baked pasta. It's smothered with homemade caramelized onions and melty Gruyere cheese to create a delicious sweet and savory casserole. Talk about cozy!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 517

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 sweet or Vidalia onions sliced (see notes)
1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
1¾ cups chicken bone broth divided
⅓ cup dry white wine I used a Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 cloves garlic minced
8 oz uncooked penne pasta about 2¾ cups (I used brown rice penne)
1½ cups shredded chicken
1½-2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease or butter a large baking dish (I used a 10.5" x 7.5").
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, add sliced onions and sauté until lightly translucent and soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Then add 1½ teaspoon salt and sugar. Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. The bottom of the pan should start to get dark.
Add 1-2 tablespoon broth and use your wooden spoon to scrape the dark bits off the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking on high for 4-5 minutes, constantly stirring and letting the bottom of the pan develop darken again. If it's turning black too quickly, turn the heat down to medium. Repeat with the broth, scraping the bottom. Repeat two more times for a total of 4 scrapings in 4-5 minute intervals for a total of 15-20 minutes and ¼ cup broth.
Pour in white wine. Scrape the browned bits one more time and let reduce for 4-5 minutes, occasionally stirring. The onions should be getting soft and jammy at this point.
When the wine has been completely reduced and there is little liquid left, add Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
Then turn off the heat. Add remaining 1½ cup broth and season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the uncooked pasta into the casserole dish. Top with shredded chicken, then caramelized onions sauce, then shredded cheese. Do not mix - we want the pasta to stay on the bottom so it's submerged in liquid.
Spray one side of foil with oil. Tightly cover casserole dish, oiled foil side down, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking uncovered for 8 more minutes. Then broil for 3-5 minutes until top is golden and bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Caramelized onions technique modified from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
I recommend slicing onions as pictured in Simply Recipes's guide to slicing an onion from root to stem.
If you can't find sweet onions, like Vidalia or Maui onions, you can use yellow onions in their place. If it isn't sweet enough to your liking, add a little more sugar. You can also use a blend of yellow, sweet, red, and shallots - use whatever you have on hand.
Substitute chicken bone broth with low-sodium chicken or beef broth.
If you don't want to replace the white wine, use ¼ cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice. You can also omit it completely.
If replacing dried thyme with fresh, use 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.
You can use any pasta you'd like, but short pastas like penne, rigatoni, shells, elbows, or cavatappi would work better. I also don't recommend using chickpea, lentil, or a vegetable alternate pasta because they'll overcook in the oven.
Substitute Gruyere cheese with sliced Provolone, mozzarella, Gouda, Fontina, or Swiss cheese.

Nutrition