Roasted Onions with a Parmesan Cream

I guess I didn't check the size of the bag of onions I was buying in that online grocery order too closely . . .  because it ended up being huge!  I decided to create something with some of them that we would both find delicious.  We love gratins . . .  and so I thought an onion gratin type of dish would work really well.





I roasted the onions in a hot oven first of all, in a mix of butter and olive oil.   This slightly caramelized them, helping to bring out their natural sweetness.  I do so love the flavour of caramelized onions don't you?

 

I whisked together some double cream (naughty naughty) a bit of Dijon mustard and some Parmesan cheese, which I poured over and around the onions.



They were then returned to the oven until the cream was golden brown and bubbling and all of the lovely onion juices had melded withit to create a very delicious sauce.   You could add some garlic to the cream as well if you wished . . . a small clove crushed would be enough.



Altogether this was very satisfying and we both quite enjoyed it.   With a bit of crusty bread it went down a real treat.

*Roasted Onions with a Parmesan Cream*

Serves 4 (as a side)

Serves 2 (as a main)

Printable Recipe 

These are delicious and so simple to make.   You can have them as a side dish, or a vegetarian main with a grain and a few other vegetables.

8 medium onions

1 TBS butter

1 TBS light olive oil

salt and black pepper

225ml of double cream (1 cup)

1 TBS Dijon mustard

60g of finely grated parmesan cheese (1/3 cup)

salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/ gas mark 7.   Have ready a shallow baking dish large enough to fit the onions cut in half and laid out in a single layer.



Put the butter and oil into the baking dish.  Put it into the oven to heat while you prep the onions.  To prep the onions, peel, leaving the root end intact as much as possible and then cut them in half down through the centre through to the root end.  If you have been careful enough to keep the root intact, the onions will stay together when they cook.  Remove the baking dish from the oven.  Place the onions into it in a single layer, cut side down.  Season with salt and black pepper.  Roast in the heated oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip over.  Season again and return to the oven to roast for a further 15 minutes, until beginning to caramelize a bit on the edges.  Remove from the oven.

Whisk together the cream, mustard, and Parmesan.  Pour this around the onions, drizzling some over top as well.  Return to the oven for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.  Serve hot.



Wait til you see what I did next!


 

I hate to waste anything and so I used the leftovers to create a simple pasta dish for us to enjoy the day after.  It was as simple as cooking some pasta, pureeing the leftovers and tossing the whole lot together.  Boy was it good!

*Pasta with a Roasted Onion and Cream Sauce*

Serves 2

Printable Recipe 

A little something I created to use the leftovers from my Roasted Onions with a Parmesan Cream.  It was delicious!  You will need a blender or food processor.

1/2 recipe of Roasted Onions with a Parmesan Cream

2 ounces of dry pasta (linquine or spaghetti, or whatever you choose)

Hot pasta water

Grated Parmesan Cheese to serve

Put a pot of salted water on to the boil.   Blitz the leftover onions, plus any cream, in a food processor until fairly smooth.  You may want a bit of texture, but not huge chunks.  Set aside.  Drain the pasta, reserving about 125ml (1/2 cup) of the cooking water.   Return the pasta to the saucepan, along with the onion cream and enough of the pasta water to loosen it up into a sauce.  Heat through and then serve hot with some grated Parmesan Cheese scattered over top.