French Onion Wagyu Beef Pasta Bake
with Cheesy Panko Topping
- Wheat
- Milk
Browned ground wagyu beef, creamy caramelized onion sauce, and twirly cavatappi pasta make this bistro-worthy recipe feel extra indulgent. Top with a buttery, cheesy panko crust, bake until bubbling, and dig in!
Ingredients
½ ounce
Vidalia Onion Paste
1 unit
Onion
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
½ teaspoon
Dried Thyme
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 ounce
Roasted Onion & Garlic Spread
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Flour
(Contains: Wheat)
10 ounce
Ground Wagyu Beef
Not included in your delivery
unit
Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Cooking Steps
-
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish (9-by-13-inch baking dish for 4 servings) with nonstick cooking spray. Wash and dry produce.
-
Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion.
-
Place 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until melted, 30-60 seconds. Stir in panko, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
-
Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
-
While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
-
Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Carefully discard all but a thin layer of beef fat from pan.
- Heat pan with reserved beef fat over medium heat. (TIP: If pan seems dry, add a drizzle of oil.) Add onion, half the thyme (all for 4 servings), a pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and lightly browned, 4-8 minutes. TIP: If onion begins to brown too quickly or unevenly, add ¼ cup water and continue to cook, stirring and gently scraping bottom of pan.
-
Sprinkle flour over onion mixture; stir to combine. Slowly add cream sauce base, stirring, until flour has dissolved and no lumps remain.
-
Stir drained cavatappi, cooked beef, Vidalia onion paste, roasted onion and garlic spread, and ¾ cup reserved pasta cooking water into pan with sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until everything is evenly coated and sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. TIP: If pasta seems dry, add splashes of remaining reserved pasta cooking water (or plain water) until desired consistency is reached.
-
Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish.
-
Stir mozzarella into bowl with panko mixture.
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Sprinkle cheesy panko over pasta and bake on top rack until browned and bubbly, 15-20 minutes.
-
Divide pasta bake between plates or serve family style directly from baking dish. TIP: Let pasta rest for a few minutes after baking before digging in!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: Many loved the rich, French onion–inspired taste, though some found it one-dimensional or too sweet from the caramelized onions 🍲.
- Ease of prep: The recipe involves several overlapping steps and multiple pots, which some found more involved than expected for a pasta bake.
- Suggestions: Add an extra packet of cream sauce base to prevent dryness, and skip the extra oil when browning the wagyu beef — it renders enough fat on its own.
- Leftovers: The bake does not reheat well; several noted it turns very dry the next day, so plan to enjoy it fresh.
- Texture: Baking can dry out the pasta — a quick broil to crisp the topping, rather than a full bake, may help retain more sauce.
