This Cozy Fall Bite Combines 2 Classic Comfort Foods In One Pot

There's something about cool weather and shorter days that makes our favorite comfort foods seem to taste even better. In particular, few things are tastier or warm your belly better than a crock of cheesy, savory French onion soup. The combination of rich beef broth, caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and melty cheese clinging to a buttery crouton seems capable of curing anything that ails you — provided, of course, you avoid the most common mistakes when making your French onion soup. Choosing the right variety of onions and not rushing the caramelization process are paramount.

Of course, there's also the issue of the cold weather increase in appetite that many of us experience — one that isn't easily satisfied by a bowl of broth and onions alone. Fortunately, there's absolutely no rule against combining beloved comfort foods, and there's one ingredient that's perfect for adding substance and texture to your favorite French onion recipe: pasta.

This simple addition not only turns your favorite soup into a well-rounded meal, it does so without detracting from the flavor at all. In fact, since the idea is to add the dry pasta directly to the soup as it boils, the pasta soaks up plenty of seasoned broth, resulting in a deeply flavorful dish. This also makes it one of those deliciously deceptive one-pot meals that tastes fancy but is fairly easy to put together. Bonus points if you use a pasta shape that pairs well with cream sauce to give the cheese something to cling to.

Though making French onion noodle soup is fairly similar to making the classic dish, there are enough key differences that it's important to think about how to bring everything together successfully. For instance, the shape of your pasta will dictate some of the cooking process, as long, thin noodles like traditional spaghetti will cook much faster than short, round shapes like mini shells or orecchiette. If you're using a thinner pasta, you can allow your soup to boil for a few minutes before adding the pasta to ensure it doesn't get overcooked.

Something else to think about is the cheese. Since this recipe nixes the buttery, broth-soaked crouton in favor of the pasta, the cheese will essentially act as a thickener to essentially transform your soup into a creamy French onion mac and cheese. To prevent things from getting gummy, it's best to stir in your cheese after the soup is done cooking, let it rest for a few minutes, then stir to ensure your pasta is completely coated in yumminess. If your cheese starts to clump, feel free to add a splash of warm cream or milk to loosen things up.

Feel free to serve this soup with buttery, herby toasted garlic bread as a nod to the missing crouton. Something fresh, like a green bean and tomato panzanella salad also works well, as it adds a pop of brightness to your meal while still providing that beautiful bready crunch.