French Onion Steak Pasta
This post is sponsored by Panorama Meats. As always, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own.
Transform the French Onion Soup into a steak pasta recipe. This creamy, cheesy French Onion Steak Pasta recipe is served with a perfectly cooked ribeye steak. Perfect for a weeknight diner, at-home date night or entertaining friends, this steak and pasta recipe is so satisfying. Makes 4 servings.
Love making steak at home? Learn How to Broil Steak and how to make a Cast Iron Ribeye!
If you’ve spent any amount of time on this here blog, you probably know I have a thing for French onion flavors and recipes. (So far, I’ve shared an Instant Pot French Onion Soup, French Onion Biscuits and French Onion Poutine, among others!)
And so today, thanks to my friends at Panorama Meats, we’re adding to the French Onion arsenal with a STEAK PASTA recipe!
Because you can never go wrong with a creamy, comforting pasta dish.
Also, you can never go wrong with steak.
Why I love this recipe:
French Onion Soup is a comfort food classic because it combines the homey with cheesy and a little bit of crunch. The combination of caramelized onions with beef and herbs give the soup extra pizzazz, and I wanted to capture the flavors in a pasta dish.
Instead of using ground beef or simply letting the beef broth stand alone here, I wanted to punch up the beefy flavor by using a ribeye steak from Panorama Meats.
This pasta dish paired with the ribeye steak (or any other steak you’ve got on hand) makes for a really fabulous meal that’s perfect for sharing, whether it’s date night or even a family meal.
Other recipes I’ve made and loved using Panorama Meats products: Beef Taco Pasta Salad | Grilled Steak Flatbread Pizza | Homemade Loaded Queso | Texas Chili (without beans!) | Ground Beef Meat Pies | Beef Poutine Fries and Gravy
Looking for another wintery dinner that’s perfect for sharing? Check out my Entrees recipe index for inspiration!
Why I’m Using a Panorama Meats Ribeye Steak In This Recipe:
As y’all should know by now, I’m a big fan of Panorama Meats and all their products. Not only because it tastes really incredibly delicious (because hi, those cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, living in a pasture and eating grasses, legumes and range forage for the duration of their lives), but because of the company’s standards.
Panorama is Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare Rated Step 4. They’re also Certified Organic by CCOF, and have a Paleo and Whole30 stamp of approval, too.
Last but not least, the cattle are born and raised in the U.S.A. by family ranchers. Before I started working with Panorama, I didn’t realize that a lot of the organic beef sold in our country is imported.
I’ve been working with Panorama this summer and fall, highlighting various cuts of their beef in different types of recipes because it is so versatile.
You can find Panorama Meats at your local Whole Foods Market. They’re sold in 120 stores throughout Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida and the Southwest, including Texas. They’re also sold at Brookshire Brothers in Texas.
What you’ll need to make French Onion Steak Pasta
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- Nonstick skillet
- Large dutch oven or another vessel for boiling the pasta
- Cheese grater
- Sharp knife
- Tongs and wooden spoon
- Instant read meat thermometer
In addition to these tools, you’ll need some ingredients to make this easy steak and pasta recipe:
- Linguine—or another long, thin pasta of your choosing
- Panorama Meats Organic Grass Fed Ribeye—or your favorite cut of steak
- Unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Onions—white or yellow are both great for this recipe
- Beef bone broth—or your favorite brand of beef broth, if you can’t find the bone broth
- Milk—we keep whole milk in our home, but you can use whatever you’ve got on hand. I will note that the pasta sauce will be creamier if you use whole milk.
- Reserved pasta water—so make sure to save some before you drain your pasta!
- Gruyere cheese
- Fresh thyme
How to make French Onion Steak Pasta
How do you caramelize onions?
Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to slice the onion into super thin rounds. Seriously, y’all: The thinner, the better with these onions because they’ll cook faster.
In a nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion to the skillet, and cook over medium heat.
Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon so nothing begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. This process will take 20-35 minutes, just depending on how hot your stove runs and how comfortable you feel using a higher heat.
When the onions are caramelized, remove them from the skillet, and set ’em aside. We’ll add them back in once the sauce is made.
How do I know my onions are properly caramelized? As you cook the onions down, they’ll release juices and go from a white/yellow color to translucent, and then they’ll start to brown a little. When a majority of the onions have browned (and they’ve cooked down significantly, meaning it looks like there are a lot less in the pan than when you started) and are a caramel color, I’ll turn off the heat and call them done.
Sear the steak
Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, blotting it to remove excess moisture because this will help the exterior of the steak caramelize in the pan!
Season with salt and pepper on both sides, and set aside while the butter heats in the pan on the next step. For the record, I like to use about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of beef.
In the same skillet where you caramelized your onions (yes, we’re going to be using this skillet for ev-ery-thing), add the butter and let it melt over medium-high heat. We want the heat to be relatively high on the skillet to get a good sear!
Once the butter is melted and bubbly, place the steak in the pan. You’ll hear a loud sizzling/searing sound, and this is exactly what you want when you’re searing a steak! If the steak isn’t making noise, your pan might not be hot enough, so if that’s the case, crank up the heat.
This step is really important because the key to a great sear is this sizzle—it caramelizes the exterior of the steak and makes it incredibly delicious.
How to sear steak like a pro
Do not touch the steak as it sears!
It doesn’t need to be moved around the pan, and it doesn’t need to be flipped more than once.
Let it cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping with tongs and cooking for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. This is it. (Unless, of course, you like your steak cooked through more than I do, in which case I advise letting it cook a little longer on both sides. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 3-4 minutes per side to get a 1″ thick steak to medium rare.)
Take the steak’s temperature with an instant read thermometer. To do this, simply stick it into the thickest part of the steak and read the temperature because knowing the temp takes the guesswork out of wondering.
The Right Temperature for Steak
Everyone likes their steak a little different, but generally speaking, you can eat it a few different ways. Whichever temperature you choose is A-OK, so long as you remember that your steak’s internal temperature will hit the desired while resting, not while it’s cooking. So you want to remove the steak from the skillet about 5°F before the desired temperature because it will need to rest.
- RARE steak has a cool, red center and will reach the temperature of 125°F.
- MEDIUM RARE steak has a warm red center and will reach the temperature of 135°F.
- A MEDIUM steak has a warm pink center and will reach the temperature of 145°F.
- A MEDIUM WELL steak has a slightly pink center (think very slightly) and will reach the temperature of 150°F.
- WELL DONE steak is cooked completely through and will reach the temperature of 160°F
Once the steak has rested, slice it thinly to place on top of the pasta.
Make the Cheesy French Onion Sauce
In the same skillet where you caramelized the onions and seared the steak—yes, the same one—turn down the heat, and sprinkle in the flour. Stir the flour into with the juices and fats remaining in the pan to make a roux.
THIS will thicken our sauce, so we want the flour and fat to be mixed together well and bubbly before we add any liquids so it doesn’t get clumpy or weird.
Pour in the beef bone broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, then pour in the milk, and stir the sauce.
Once the sauce is decently thick and coats the back of your spoon, add the cheese and thyme. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Add the onions back in, stirring to mix, and then add the pasta into the sauce. Sprinkle in the pasta water because it will help the sauce stick to the cooked pasta and toss together with tongs.
Serve immediately and top each plate of pasta with the sliced steak. Enjoy with extra Gruyere and thyme leaves because they add pops of color and flavor, too!
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Pasta is a dish that’s a go-to for me for entertaining because it’s really easy to make and (kind of) fool-proof, assuming you don’t wander away from the kitchen for a long while as the pasta cooks.
This Steak Pasta recipe would be fabulous for entertaining, too, because it’s a little “fancier” than your usual pasta dinner… but it takes no more time than any other pasta dish you might be making!
With that in mind, here are my entertaining recommendations for this pasta:
- Double or triple the recipe. This recipe fed my family of four (which includes two kids) for two meals, but if you’re serving more than two adults and two kids, I highly advise doubling or tripling this recipe to make sure everyone has enough!
- Prep your ingredients in advance! You can caramelize the onions, boil the pasta, shred the cheese and more before guests arrive. You can do this a day or two in advance, too, so that all you have to do the day of is cook the steak and put the sauce together!
- Get your guests in on the fun! Let guests help make the sauce, pull the fresh thyme from its stems or toss the pasta in the sauce.
- Serve it with toasted bread. Let this sop up extra sauce on your plate because it’s so darn good.
- Pair it with a cabernet sauvignon because a big, bold red wine would be perfect to sip with steak pasta!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can actually prep a lot of this ahead of time so that making dinner is as easy as pie, so do the following…
Boil the pasta, and toss in olive oil so it doesn’t stick together.
Caramelize the onions.
Shred the cheese.
When you’ve gotten these things done, store the ingredients/parts in food safe storage containers in the fridge.
Store the pasta in a food safe storage container in the fridge, but please store the steak separately, if possible! We’ve also kept a large bowl of this pasta in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Yes, but since it’s got a creamy sauce, add a little beef broth before reheating in the microwave. Heat the pasta for 30-60 seconds, stir, and then potentially heat more, depending on the temperature.
You can reheat the Panorama ribeye in the microwave with the pasta, too, though I recommend storing it separately and letting it come to room temperature before eating (instead of heating in the microwave and it becoming a little tough or overcooked.)
Quick tips for making French Onion Steak Pasta
- Double or triple the recipe because feeding a crowd is fun!
- If you’re short on time in the evenings, caramelize your onions in advance because that’s the part that takes the most hands-on time. This can be done 1-2 days ahead of time, so if this is on the menu for a Tuesday, caramelize ‘em on Sunday night as you prep for the week.
- Use gluten free pasta (and a gluten free 1-to-1 flour for the roux) to make this pasta gluten free.
- No fresh thyme? You can use the dried type, but use ½ of what this recipe calls for, as the dried thyme has a more potent flavor than the fresh.
Know your ideal temp?
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French Onion Steak Pasta
French Onion flavors in PASTA? You better believe it! Transform the comforting soup into a meaty pasta dish, topped with perfectly cooked Panorama ribeye steak. The creamy, cheesy pasta recipe is a tasty way to change up weeknight dinnertime, an at-home date night or even entertaining friends!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. linguine, cooked al dente
- 1 Panorama Meats Organic Grass Fed Ribeye
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Caramelized Onion Sauce
- 2 onions, large, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup beef bone broth
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the water once it reaches a rolling boil.
- Add the dried linguine, and cook for 7-10 minutes. Follow the instructions on the packaging, as some will cook faster than others.
- When the pasta is al dente, meaning it still has a bit of a bite, dip a cup into the water to reserve at least ½ cup. Drain the pasta, and then drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil onto it to prevent the pasta from clumping. Set aside for later.
Caramelize the Onion
- Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the onions into thin rounds.
- In a nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the onion to the skillet, and cook over medium heat. Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon so nothing begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- This process will take 20-35 minutes, just depending on how hot your stove runs and how comfortable you feel with a higher heat setting.
- Remove the onions from the skillet, and set aside.
Sear the Steak
- Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, blotting it to remove excess moisture. (This will help the exterior of the steak caramelize in the pan!) Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In the same skillet where you caramelized your onions, add the butter, allowing it to melt over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is bubbling, place the steak in the pan. You’ll hear loud sizzling noise. (If the noise isn’t loud, your pan might not be hot enough. If that’s the case, crank up the heat so you hear this sizzling.)
- Do not touch the steak as it sears, and let it cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping with tongs and cooking for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. You will only flip the steak once!
- Take the steak’s temperature by using an instant read thermometer. Stick it into the thickest part of the steak and read the temperature. For a medium rare steak, remove the steak at 140°F, and let it rest, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature climbs up to 145°F.
- Once the steak has rested and hit the temperature you like to eat your steak at, you can slice it thinly to place on top of the pasta.
Make the Sauce
- Turn down the heat under the same skillet from all the steps above to MEDIUM.
- Sprinkle in the flour. Stir that in with the juices and fats remaining in the pan to make a roux. This will be the thickener for our sauce, so don’t skip this step, and make sure that the flour and fat actually mix together before pouring in the liquids.
- Pour in the beef bone broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. This could take 2-3 minutes, depending on your stovetop.
- Next, pour in the milk, and stir the sauce as it thickens. This will take another 2-3 minutes.
- Once the sauce is decently thick, add the cheese and thyme. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Add the onions back in, stirring to mix, and then add the pasta into the sauce. Add the pasta water to help the sauce stick to the cooked pasta, tossing it with tongs.
- Serve immediately, topping with the sliced steak, and enjoy with extra gruyere and thyme leaves!
Notes
How will I know my steak is cooked?
Everyone likes their steak cooked a little different, but generally speaking, you can eat it a few different ways. Whichever temperature you choose is A-OK, so long as you remember that your steak's internal temperature will hit the desired while resting, not while it's cooking. So you want to remove the steak from the skillet about 5°F before the desired temperature because it will need to rest.
- Rare, which has a cool red center: 125°F
- Medium rare, which has a warm red center: 135°F
- Medium, which has a warm pink center: 145°F
- Medium well, which has a slightly pink center: 150°F
- Well done, which is cooked all the way through: 160°F
Quick tips for making French Onion Steak Pasta
- Double or triple the recipe for a crowd!
- Make it gluten free by using your favorite gluten free pasta and an all-purpose gluten free flour in the roux.
- No fresh thyme? You can use the dried type, but use ½ of what this recipe calls for, as the dried thyme has a more potent flavor than the fresh.
What parts of this recipe can I prep ahead? You can actually prep a lot of this ahead of time so that making dinner is as easy.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Boil the pasta, and toss in olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
- Caramelize the onions.
- Shred the cheese.
- Measure out the rest of your ingredients, too!
When you’ve gotten these things done, store the ingredients/parts in food safe storage containers in the fridge.
How do I store leftovers? Store the pasta in a food safe storage container in the fridge. Store the steak separately, if you can! We’ve also kept a large bowl of this pasta in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Can this pasta dish be reheated? Yes, it absolutely can be! Since it’s got a creamy sauce, you will add a little beef broth before reheating in the microwave. Heat the pasta for 30-60 seconds, stir, and then potentially heat more, depending on the temperature. You can reheat the Panorama ribeye in the microwave with the pasta, too, though I recommend storing it separately and letting it come to room temperature before eating (instead of heating in the microwave and getting a little tough or overcooked.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 641Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 1113mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 35g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
This looks like the perfect comfort food! Making it for dinner tonight!
Thanks so much, Madi! How’d it turn out? Did you love it?
OMG I love French Onion flavors too! All that creamy goodness and caramelized onions! Now you have combined it with my other favorite thing. PASTA! You are my hero!
Haha, thank you, Jennifer! These flavors are hard to go wrong with and the addition of the steak and the pasta just push them over the top! I mean… how can you NOT love this?
I needed dinner inspiration this week and this is it! You had me at pasta, but add beef and french onion flavor — YES!!
This recipe has my 3 favorite food groups, pasta, steak and french onion! 😉 I mean seriously — this couldn’t have been a more delicious recipe! Making it again this weekend, thank you!
You’ve gone and done it again, marrying great flavors! French onion is perfect with this delicious steak pasta dish! Will be making again (and again!)
Thank you so much, Kathleen! So glad you enjoyed this pasta dish combined with the steak. It’s truly decadent, huh?
Made this last night and my family RAVED about it! It’s going into my rotation for sure!
This makes me SO happy to hear, Michaela! We love this one, too, and keep it in our rotation, as well.
Absolutely delicious. Gruyere and carmalized onions are so good together. The ingredients list is missing flour
So happy this turned out for you, Jim! This is one of our favorites, too. Thank you for pointing out the missing flour–I’m going to put that into the recipe card now since I somehow missed it before.