Caramelized Onion + Fennel Pasta

I’ve been getting a ton of requests for a simple pantry pasta, so I figured I would share the recipe I made this evening! Simple, creamy and almost decadent 🧅CARAMELIZED ONION + FENNEL PASTA IN A LIGHT PARMESAN SAUCE🧅 This recipe is simple to make and very different from your average red sauce or garlic and olive oil. Feel free to swap out any ingredients or add whatever you have - use two onions if you don’t have fennel. The most important part of this recipe is the sauce! It’s good on everything but I especially love it with the bitter sweetness of caramelized fennel. This is also a great recipe to make if (gasp!) you don’t have any garlic on hand! Here’s what you need:

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 box of pasta, dealers choice, I used @eatbanza
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
~1/4 cup pasta water, you’ll probably need less
1/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Salt

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat a pan with a glug or two of olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add onions and fennel and turn down to a medium low/low heat. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until lightly browned and caramelized, 35-45 minutes.
3. While onions are caramelizing, bring pot of heavily salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to pasta box instructions until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water then strain.
4. Whisk one egg with Parmesan cheese till completely combined.
5. Add cooked pasta into pan with caramelized fennel and onions. Add cheesy egg mixture and a couple of tablespoons of pasta water. Mix continuously so the pasta water emulsifies the cheese and egg to create a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water if needed.
6. Add peas and stir so all ingredients are evenly mixed and peas are warmed through. Salt to taste and serve!