I tried this tonight. The sauce was not as thick as it says it should be. I used whole wheat spaghetti and I wonder if that made a difference. I've been trying recipes from Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites all week.
We modified this recipe from Ed Giobbi, who found it in a very old Italian cookbook. Just as he says, it's a winner.
The pasta is only partially cooked when you add it to the sauce, so as it finishes cooking, it releases the rest of its starch, creating a sauce so thick and unctuous you'd swear it had cheese in it - a bit of kitchen wizardry at work!
4 large onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground fennel (optional)
1 lb spaghetti (about 453 grams)
1 cup skim milk
1 cup canned tomatoes, crushed or coarsely chopped (8-0z can)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
Slice off the ends of the onions. Cut each onion in half lengthwise and remove the peel. Slice each half lengthwise into strips.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While the water heats, pour the oil into a large skillet or wide soup pot and add the onions and fennel, if using. Saute, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Ease the spaghetti into the boiling water, stir and cover. Cook the spaghetti for just 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the milk and tomatoes to the onions. The milk will curdle, but don't worry. Cover and gently simmer.
When the spaghetti has cooked exactly 5 minutes, drain it and add it immediately to the onion mixture. Simmer the spaghetti in the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is smooth. Drizzle it in a little more milk if the sauce becomes too stiff. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
This other version, called Spaghetti with Caramelized Onions comes from The One-Dish Vegetarian cookbook.
You come home in the evening, tired unto exhaustion. No one has shopped for dinner. The weather is foul - rain, sleet, snow - there is no question of going out. You pull out the spaghetti pot, fill it with water, put it on the stove. The pantry has some onions, not much else. You slice the onions and saute them slowly while you chat with your family, read the mail, whatever. An hour later you boil the spaghetti and toss it with the sauce. You've created magic! A delicious dinner out of nothing much.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 large onions (about 1-1/2 lbs), sliced very thin
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons salt
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Place a large pot of water (6 quarts) on high heat to boil for the pasta.
2. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, turn the heat to very low, and cook the onions, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the onions have turned golden brown. Be careful not to let the onions burn. They should cook very slowly and evenly, so adjust the heat accordingly.
3. Add salt and plenty of black pepper to the caramelized onions. Because of their sweetness they should be fairly heavily seasoned.
4. Add the wine and raise the heat to high; simmer until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the parsley, stir, and turn off the heat.
5. Add salt to boiling pasta water then add the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain the spaghetti and add to the saute pan with the caramelized onions. Turn on the heat under the pan and toss the spaghetti with the sauce.
6. Serve at once in pasta bowls and serve the cheese separately.
Variations:
Add 1/2 cup heavy cream after you have added and simmered the wine. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or toasted pine nuts just before serving.
An onion can make people cry, but there's no vegetable that can make people laugh. - Anonymous
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