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 cooking 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, 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… I wanted to capture the flavors in a pasta dish.
However, instead of using ground beef or letting the beef broth stand alone, I wanted to punch up the beef flavor by using a ribeye steak, which is one of my favorite cuts of beef.
We’re using a combination of broth, milk and Gruyere cheese to make a French Onion Soup-inspired sauce for the pasta before we throw it all together with the caramelized onions and steak.
Truly, this recipe is a treat.
It makes for a really fabulous meal that’s perfect for sharing, whether it’s date night or even a family dinner.
Want to learn more about steak? Check out Steak 101: Everything You Need to Know about Cooking Steak at Home!
More steak recipes to try at home: Steak Alfredo | How to Grill Steak | Grilled Skirt Steak | Steak Bruschetta with French Onion Marmalade | Garlic Butter Steak
What you’ll need to make this recipe:
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- Large skillet (nonstick is great, but you could also use a cast iron skillet)
- Large dutch oven or another vessel for boiling the pasta
- Cheese grater
- Sharp knife
- Tongs and wooden spoon
- Instant read meat thermometer
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you will need to get to make this easy steak and pasta recipe:
- Linguine — or another long, thin pasta of your choosing. You could also use a shorter cut, like penne pasta, if that’s easier to eat.
- Panorama Meats Organic Grass Fed Ribeye — or your favorite cut of steak. A sirloin steak or
- Unsalted butter — for caramelizing the onions. You could use oil, but I prefer butter for this.
- Kosher salt and black pepper — to season everything to taste. Medium grain kosher is my go-to, and I like to crack my own 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. You could also use a splash of heavy cream if you’re feeling decadent.
- Reserved pasta water — so make sure to save some before you drain your pasta!
- Gruyere cheese — or another melty cheese. Parmesan cheese would be an excellent substitute, though it would have different vibes than a classic gruyere, swiss or even mozzarella.
- Fresh thyme — for garnish and that final French onion flavor. You could also use fresh parsley as a garnish, too.
How to make French Onion Steak Pasta
How do you caramelize onions?
I wrote a whole guide on how to caramelize onions because they are one of my FAVORITES, but we’re going to talk about the specifics to this recipe right here…
Use a sharp knife or a mandoline to slice the onion into super thin rounds. The thinner, the better with these onions because they’ll cook faster.
Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
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 from the skillet, and set ’em aside. We’ll add them back in once the sauce is made.
DID YOU KNOW?
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 have turned a caramel color, I 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 liberally 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 seasoned 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 hot skillet, 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.
A QUICK GUIDE TO
Steak Temperature
When you’re cooking steaks, you need to know the end temperature you’re aiming for so you cook it correctly. (Personally, I like my steak medium rare, but you do you!)
Pro tip: Your steak will continue cooking after it has been removed from the heat. Remove it from the heat when it is within 5-10 degrees of your ideal temperature.
Here are the temperatures:
Also, use an instant read meat thermometer* (affiliate link) to confirm the temperature.
Go in depth about the perfect temp and learn more at my Steak Temperature Guide!
Sear the steak on BOTH SIDES until cooked to the ideal temperature.
Once the steak has rested, slice it thinly to place on top of the pasta.
And if you haven’t already, you need to cook the pasta in salted water to the packaging instructions!
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. Pour in the milk, too, 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 cooked 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. 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!
How to store:
Store leftovers in separate airtight containers. Store the leftover steak in a separate container from the pasta.
Reheat the pasta in the microwave in 30-60 second increments. You might have to add a splash of broth to thin out the sauce.
Let the steak come to room temperature and eat that way instead of reheating in the microwave. You could also toss it into a skillet and sear until warmed through.
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 and also offers a fancier protein… 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 could reheat the ribeye in the microwave with the pasta, too. However, 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.
- 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.
Here’s how you can make this dish:
French Onion Steak Pasta
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 large yellow onions 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
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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!
Video
Notes
- 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
- 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.
- 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!
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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 love anything with noodles, but add tender beef and french onion flavors and I am swooning, this was so delicious and my family loved it.
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?
New favorite pasta right here! So much flavor from the beef and french onion sauce!
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.