Pesto pasta with fried onions
Such a delicious combo of parsley pesto and fried, caramelized onions!
Full of flavor, I love this fast, delectable dinner. Most of the ingredients you can keep in the pantry on hand to whip this up anytime. This is a great go-to easy meal to make and love. It’s also amazing the next day cold for lunch if you have leftovers!
Ingredients
4 servings
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tsp sea salt, divided, plus more for cooking pasta
1 lb. macaroni, spiral or bowtie gluten-free pasta
1 1/4 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems (from 1 bunch)
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup roasted salted almonds
2 tsp lemon zest plus 4 Tbsp fresh juice (from 2 lemons)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Preparation
Combine olive oil and onion in a small skillet over medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until onion starts to darken around edges, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Transfer oil in skillet to heatproof bowl (adding more oil if needed to make 1/4 cup). Set aside.
Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Combine parsley, cheese, almonds, lemon zest and juice, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, 6 to 8 times. Add reserved onion oil, 3/4 cup reserved pasta water, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to food processor. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds, adding more pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Transfer pesto to a large bowl, add cooked pasta, tomatoes, and toss to combine. Top with fried onions.
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