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Caramelized Onion Pasta with Greens

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4.8 from 4 reviews

This caramelized onion pasta with greens and bacon is a great way to use whatever greens you have on hand! Salty bacon and sweet caramelized onions combine for a great main meal or side dish ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ lb bacon (227g)
  • 1 large onion, very thinly sliced (128g)
  • 2 Tbsp butter or additional bacon grease (optional) (28g)
  • 1 lb greens (any chard, any kale or beet greens), washed and sliced into 1″ pieces (454g)
  • 8 oz favorite pasta (spaghetti or shells – for gluten free, use any gluten free pasta) (224g)
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, cook bacon until almost crispy. Remove bacon from the pan but leave the grease. Add onion and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain.
  3. Add the greens and cook until onions are caramelized and the greens are wilted and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add butter or additional bacon grease if the onion mixture seems dry.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  5. Add finished onions, chard, and bacon to the pasta and stir well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

  • This caramelized onion pasta recipe is just enough for dinner for a family of four. If you want leftovers or have hearty eaters, double the recipe. Feel free to leave the amount of bacon the same – just add more bacon grease to start.
  • If you’re feeling fancy, add a couple of shavings of Parmesan cheese or a few tablespoons of heavy cream to create a creamy sauce. Totally optional, of course, but rich and indulgent for sure!
  • Add more veggies! Sliced mushrooms, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, or even chopped green beans would be yummy in this dish.
  • Swap out the meat. Try Italian sausage instead of bacon (use butter or olive oil to cook the greens).
  • If you’d like a vegan onion pasta with greens, just omit the bacon and cook with olive oil.