French Onion Baked Ziti

This recipe takes two classics—French onion soup and baked ziti—and brings them together in a way that feels both familiar and completely new.

You get all those deep, caramelized onion flavors with plenty of melted cheese and pasta that soaks up the broth.

It’s the kind of dish that makes your kitchen smell incredible. And it’s surprisingly easy to pull together on a weeknight!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This isn’t your typical red-sauce baked pasta.

The caramelized onions bring a sweetness and depth that you just can’t get any other way.

The combination of Gruyère and mozzarella gives you that perfect stringy, melty situation. Plus the broth-based sauce means it’s rich without being heavy.

You can make the onions ahead of time if you want to break up the work. Or you can do everything in one go—it all fits into one pan at the end anyway.

The crispy cheese on top is worth the oven time alone. And leftovers actually taste better the next day once everything has melded together.

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions:

• 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or additional beef broth)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

For the pasta:

• 1 pound ziti or penne pasta
• Salt for pasta water

For the sauce and assembly:

• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, salt, and sugar.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes until the onions are deeply golden and caramelized. Lower the heat if they start to burn.

Add the garlic and thyme, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

While the onions are caramelizing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to package directions until just al dente (it will cook more in the oven).

Drain the pasta and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and black pepper to the pan with the caramelized onions.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan along with 1 cup of the Gruyère and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Stir everything together until the cheese starts to melt.

Transfer everything to a 9×13-inch baking dish if you’re not using an oven-safe pan. Top with the remaining Gruyère, mozzarella, and all of the Parmesan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. For extra browning, turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes, watching carefully.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme if you’d like.

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