I developed this recipe last week in conversation with my pantry and my refrigerator. I had pasta, chopped walnuts, a bunch of yellow onions, and some crumbled blue cheese. It was delicious… and so incredibly rich. It might be better as a primi piatti than as a main dish. Maybe have an austere piece of fish or lean steak as your secondi.
Conchiglie with Caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese, and Toasted Walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 4 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced — or more if you want, they cook down a lot
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb. conchiglie (shells) pasta
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Toast walnuts in dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Take out of skillet and set aside.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add butter and stir around. Wait for foam to subside, then add onions plus salt to taste. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
Add pasta to water when boiling rapidly and cook until al dente, then drain.
Once onions are golden brown, add chicken broth and simmer for two minutes to reduce broth.
Stir together pasta, onions, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese. Serve immediately.