GNAM, GNAM – Balsamic Roasted Onions

Italians have a silly expression for ‘yummy’ that always makes me giggle – GNAM, GNAM. The first time I heard it was from my (wonderful) Italian instructor – I thought, ‘what the hell does that mean?!?!’. Feels like it belongs in a Pac-Man video game (uh-oh – dating myself!) Go ahead – try to say it. I betcha you will giggle too.

Back to the recipe at hand! I have been testing out a few recipes for the upcoming Thanksgiving day feast and spotted some cipolline onions at the local market and remembered having had them once at a restaurant roasted with a balsamic glaze. GNAM, GNAM! So I gave these a go the other eve and they may indeed be on the menu for our feast – super simple to make and incredibly tasty.  The only little challenge is peeling the little cipolline onions but easy trick here – just throw them in boiling water for 30 seconds (60 seconds if they are larger) and the skin comes off easy breezy.  These make a great weekend side dish as well….so lets get excited about cipolline onions and run to the market to buy some.

GNAM, GNAM!

Baci, baci, Michele

Balsamic Roasted Onions

Ingredients: 

About 20-25 cipolline onions

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 or 2 tablespoons honey (I tend to like mine less sweet so use 1 tablespoon but if you like sweeter, go for it!)

1 stalk fresh rosemary, remove leaves from stalk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Bring a small pot of water to boil over medium heat. Drop in the cipolline onions and boil for about 30-60 seconds depending on the size. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the onions.

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden all around, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Reduce the heat to medium low. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, the water and the honey and stir to combine. Allow to cook until the sauce reduces and coats the onions – about 5 minutes.

4. Spread the onions on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven until cooked through – about 15 minutes.  That’s it! Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.