GF Pasta Salad with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions

July 27, 2020

(Yields 4 servings; 479 calories, 20.7g protein, 56.7g carbohydrate, 20.9g fat per serving)

Ingredients

Caramelized onions

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 yellow onions , large, sliced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Creamy pasta sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 10 oz mushrooms , sliced
  • 6 oz spinach
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Pasta

  • 8 oz GF pasta

Directions

How to caramelize onions:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onions and cook on high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring with the spatula.
  2. Once onions start to brown, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking onions for 10 more minutes, continuing to stir. Add a pinch of salt over onions.
  3. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes on medium or low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.
  4. Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle the onions with a small amount of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.
  5. Using a spatula, stir the onions, scraping the bottom of the pan and coating onions with a pinch of balsamic vinegar you just added. Remove caramelized onions to a plate.

How to cook mushrooms and spinach:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet on medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  2. Cook mushrooms for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft.
  3. Add fresh spinach to the skillet and stir on low heat just until spinach starts to wilt.

How to make creamy pasta sauce:

  1. Add half-and-half to the mushroom and spinach mixture and bring to a quick boil. Once you have a boil, reduce to a simmer.
  2. Add 2/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Keep stirring until cheese is melted.
  3. Add caramelized onions back to the skillet with the pasta sauce.

Cook pasta:

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions and then drain.
  2. Add cooked and drained pasta to the creamy sauce. Stir on low heat for a couple of minutes to reheat.
  3. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it out. If it is too thin, add a small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
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