Pasta with Caramelized Onions and White Wine

I am on a new recipe roll this week! I don't think I have cooked this much new stuff in a few months. Go me!!! I guess I go in fits and starts when it comes to cooking. Sometimes, I feel like just making meals that I know how to do and that my family loves without question. Then, it seems that after I do that for awhile, I get antsy and I want to start experimenting with new recipes again. What can I say??? I guess my cooking is a little schizophrenic.

This was a good vegetarian dish that I got from my new April issue of Cooking Light magazine. I needed a fast meal that didn't have a whole lot of main ingredients for our Wednesday night dinner. We have a bible study group that evening, so we have to get dinner finished and be out the door by 6pm. I always look for easy Wednesday night meals, to make the whole process run a little smoother. This recipe was a good choice, and one that I would make again.

Pasta with Caramelized Onions and White Wine
Adapted From: Rori Trovato, Cooking Light magazine, APRIL 2011

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 cups thinly sliced vidalia onions (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat rotini or other short pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine panko, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Spread panko mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after 3 minutes. Cool.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onions to pan; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute. Add broth; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes).

4. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain. Add pasta, remaining salt, and pepper to onion mixture; toss gently. Place about 1 cup pasta in each of 4 shallow bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons panko mixture.



The Result:
This was a really nice, light pasta dish. It was flavorful and had lots of great texture. We all really liked it, and it is a recipe that will go into our vegetarian rotation.