One-Pan French Onion Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 🧅Yellow Onion, thinly sliced2 onion
• 🧄Garlic, minced3 clove
• 🧈Unsalted Butter2 tbsp
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tbsp
• 🍯Brown Sugar (light)1 tsp
• 🫙Balsamic Vinegar1 tbsp
• 🍲Beef Stock1½ cup
• 🌿Dried Thyme1 tsp
• 🌿Bay Leaves1 leaf
• 🧀Gruyère, coarsely grated120 g
• 🌿Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped2 tbsp
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine)to taste
• 💧Wateras needed
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground), freshly groundto taste

Contains Celery, Dairy, Garlic, Gluten, Onion, Sulphites. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Slice the onions

   Trim the Yellow Onion and slice it from pole to pole into thin, even crescents so it melts instead of breaking apart. Keep the slices fine and tidy; if they are too thick, they will stay sharp in the skillet and refuse to turn sweet.

   5 min
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Peel the Garlic Cloves and mince them finely so they disappear into the sauce instead of catching in harsh bits. Aim for tiny pieces that smell pungent and fresh rather than wet or bruised, and stop to scrape the board if they start sticking together.

   3 min
3. 3

   Set a large skillet over medium heat and melt the Unsalted Butter with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until the fat foams lightly and the surface looks slick, not browned. Add the Yellow Onion with the Kosher Salt and stir to coat every strand.

4. 4

   Start the onions

   Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the slices collapse and turn glossy and pale gold; if the base looks dry, lower the heat a notch and add a splash of water.

   10 min
5. 5

   Deepen the caramelisation

   Keep the skillet on medium-low heat and stir the onions every few minutes so they cook evenly instead of catching in one dark spot. Continue for about 12 minutes, until the onions are deep amber, soft enough to smear, and smell sweet like onion jam; if they begin to stick too hard, loosen them with a small splash of water and keep going.

   12 min
6. 6

   Add the garlic

   Stir the minced Garlic Cloves into the onions and cook over medium heat for about 60 seconds, just until the garlic smells fragrant and the raw edge disappears. Keep it moving in short arcs so it perfumes the skillet without taking on colour; if it starts to darken, pull the skillet off the heat immediately.

   1 min
7. 7

   Sprinkle the Brown Sugar over the onion mixture, stir for about 30 seconds until it melts into a shiny coating.

   1 min
8. 8

   Pour in the Balsamic Vinegar and scrape the skillet base with the spoon. The onions should sizzle sharply, smell sweet and tangy, and look lacquered rather than wet; if the vinegar seems to vanish instantly, let it bubble another few seconds before moving on.

9. 9

   Pour in the Beef Stock, add the Dried Thyme and Bay Leaf, and stir to release any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring it to a lively simmer over medium-high heat.

10. 10

    Reduce to medium and cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid looks slightly reduced and smells savoury and round; if it foams hard, lower the heat so it stays at a steady bubble.

    5 min
11. 11

    Cook the gnocchi

    Add the Gnocchi straight into the simmering broth and stir gently so they are coated and mostly submerged. Cook for about 4 minutes, nudging them now and then, until they feel plump and tender, the sauce has thickened slightly, and the gnocchi float near the surface; if they start sticking, loosen them with a little water and keep the simmer gentle.

    4 min
12. 12

    Take the skillet off the heat and scatter the Gruyère evenly over the top.

13. 13

    Cover it loosely with a lid or foil for about 2 minutes until the cheese melts into a bubbling blanket and starts to sink into the gnocchi. If there are dry patches, replace the cover and give it another short minute; you want the top soft and molten, not clumped.

    2 min
14. 14

    Finish and serve

    Discard the Bay Leaf, sprinkle over the chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley, and grind the Black Pepper over the top just before serving. Scoop from the skillet while the cheese is still stretchy and the edges are bubbling, because the sauce sets up quickly as it sits; if it firms too much, let the skillet stand for a minute and loosen the base with a spoon.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving