Instant Pot French Onion Pasta
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large Vidalia/sweet onion, sliced into strands
1 tbsp of crushed garlic
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of salted butter
3 cups of beef broth (I used 1 tbsp of Beef Better Than Bouillon + 3 cups of water)
1 cup of red wine (any dry one, such as a Pinot Noir, will do and you can use red cooking wine too if it’s all you have. If you don’t wish to use wine, add another cup of broth)
2 tsp of light brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lb (1 box) of Campanelle pasta
5.2 oz package of cream cheese
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream or half & half
2 cups (8 oz bag) of shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
3/4 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese
French’s Fried Onions, for topping
Directions:
Add the 1 tbsp of the olive oil to the Instant Pot (I used a 6qt), hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once the oil’s heated, add in the onions and stir & set for 15 minutes until they are nicely browned, softened and caramelized. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pot 7 minutes into the sautéing of the onions (NOTE: DO NOT skimp out on this step because the worst thing ever is to have crunchy, under cooked onions in a pasta).
Add in the butter and garlic and sauté with the onions until the butter’s melted while de glazing (scraping) the bottom of the pot to get any remnants from the onions up.
Next, add in the wine and let simmer for a minute. Follow with the broth, brown sugar, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
Lastly, add in the pasta BUT DO NOT STIR. Just allow it to be as submerged under the liquid as possible by smoothing out with a mixing spoon (it is okay if some of the pasta is sticking out/peaking above the liquid)
Secure the lid and hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done
Add the cream cheese and gently stir in with the pasta and broth for about 2 minutes until fully melded. Follow up with the Parmesan, heavy cream (or half & half), Swiss, and Mozzarella (it’s best to stir in the shredded Swiss & Mozzarella in a few batches for even melting/distribution). Stir for about another 2 minutes until the cheese completely melded into the sauce.
Transfer to bowls and top with crispy fried onions, if desired.
