Pasta with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Garlic and Onions

So, last week I made a caramelized onion risotto that I read about on A Bitchin’ Kitchen.  It was delicious, but not very photogenic.  All I had was red onions, and those are just a fifty bad shades of gray when caramelized.  But, it got me thinking about how I should do more with caramelized onions.  And I decided to throw some garlic in there, too, because I believe everything is better with garlic.  Plus garlic gets nutty and sweet when it’s cooked long enough, and I love that.  The dish had to be pasta, because I don’t like rice that much.  And what else could I think of to make the dish fabulous?  Goat cheese, of course!  Only the best cheese ever.  I threw in some green peas for another sweet flavor, and to add some color to the dish.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, halved through the core and thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers

1 cup frozen green peas

1 pound penne or other pasta

2 ounces goat cheese, plus extra for serving

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When it is hot, add the garlic and onion and sprinkle some salt on top.  Leave them alone for a few minutes to get the browning process started.  Then, cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, stirring occasionally, until the onions and garlic are a rich golden brown, about 25 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for another five or so minutes, until the peas are bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and reserve one cup of the cooking water.  Combine the pasta, vegetables, goat cheese, parmesan, and cream or milk.  Toss to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the pasta cooking water until it looks just like you like it. Top with additional crumbled goat cheese and serve hot.