The Canned Soup That Doubles As A Cozy Fall Pasta Sauce

Canned soup is a pantry secret weapon, transforming an everyday meal into something that feels restaurant-worthy. It can give mac and cheese a rich flavor boost, transform rice into a super-filling budget meal on the fly, and take typical roasts or braises to new heights. One particular canned soup also doubles as a surprisingly flavorful pasta sauce. Campbell's French onion soup makes a sweet and savory base for a hearty and cozy bowl of pasta, the perfect shortcut for a comforting dish to eat while the weather is turning cooler. 

Don't get me wrong. Slowly cooking down a heaping pile of yellow onions until they become deeply caramelized and jammy is one of life's simple pleasures. (To me, anyway.) That said, the process is time-consuming, and Campbell's condensed French onion soup delivers many of those same savory, sweet, deeply oniony notes without any of the muss or fuss. As condensed soups contain less water than their ready-to-eat counterparts, they can make for particularly flavorful pasta sauces, with you in complete control of the liquid content. 

The method is simple: Add the condensed soup to a deep skillet along with one to two cups of beef broth, one cup of heavy cream, and four tablespoons of butter, and whisk it all while bringing it to a boil. Add a half pound of dried pasta to the pan, cover, lower to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. (Not to worry — the pasta will absorb most of the liquid as it cooks.) At this point, you can add a couple of handfuls of shredded Gruyère or mozzarella (or both!) and cook it until all the cheese is melted. (More shredded cheese is always optional and welcome.) 

There are a number of ways to maximize the flavor of this cozy meal without sacrificing convenience. For added texture and more onion flavor, start by sautéing thin slices of onion in a couple tablespoons of butter or olive oil until they're softened before adding any liquid. As you heat the soup, add fresh thyme leaves, a bay leaf, garlic, and a splash of sherry — all ingredients traditionally found in homemade French onion soup. You can also do as acclaimed chef Ludo Lefebvre does and add a dash of Worcestershire sauce with a savory, meaty broth and an extra boost of umami. Fish sauce also adds a burst of umami, amplifying the broth's meaty flavor with its naturally occurring glutamates.

The toppings can be elevated too. In addition to the cheese, sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs over the finished pasta to mimic the crusty bread topping of French onion soup with a welcome bit of crunch. Or skip the Gruyère altogether and swap nutty Comté in your French onion soup pasta, a move French food enthusiasts on Reddit swear by. Comté — or Gruyère de Comté — has a more delicate, fruity flavor that becomes more complex with age, reflecting the distinctive terroir of the Jura region of France where it's made.

As for the best pasta shape, opt for a short cupped, hollow, or ridged variety, such as orecchiette or rigatoni, with plenty of nooks and grooves to catch the onion-infused sauce, melted cheese, and any additional toppings.