Braised Onion Sauce

If you're looking for a rich, decadent pasta dish, the solution can be summed up in three words: Braised Onion Sauce.

What makes the sauce so decadent? How about 10 tablespoons of butter? Yep.

Just warm the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add your onion slices.

Now here's the important part -- let them cook down until they are caramelized and almost jammy. 

It will probably take a good hour (maybe a bit more), but it is time well spent.

When the onions reach this stage, the recipe calls for some Madeira to be stirred in. I wasn't able to score any in town, but I did have some Shiraz on hand and decided to go with that.

I had already made some pappardelle, added the cooked pasta and some grated Parmesan to the pan, and gave everything a good toss.

Oh sweet mother of mercy! This sauce was amazing! There's a definite sweetness from the onions, a velvety texture from all that butter, but it all balances out with that bit of tang from the cheese.

Clearly this isn't a meal one should eat on a regular basis, but every now and again, it's a treat.