Spring Onions are Sweet

Maybe you've heard the expression "sweet." I hear it all the time from my 10-year-old son, especially when something is cool. The expression has nothing to do with flavor. But Vidalia onions are sweet, literally. Vidalia and other sweet onions, such as Maui, are much milder in flavor than storage onions. They are quite juicy because of their high sugar content, and are delicious in salads and sandwiches. But cooking them intensifies their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness even more. In this recipe, sweet onions are cooked slowly until they caramelize. For grown-ups, the onions are then tossed with pasta. For kids, the onions are skipped entirely, unless, of course, you think they'll say "sweet."

Sweet Onion Pasta
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 2 adults and 2 children

8-10 ounces fusille pasta
6 slices Canadian bacon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: parsley sprigs

GROWN-UPS
Olive oil spray
2 Vidalia onions, about 1 pound
Salt and pepper for seasoning
6 Greek olives, pitted and cut into quarters
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray. Heat over medium high heat. Peel the onions, cut into very thin slices, and add to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Lower the temperature as the onions start to brown. They should cook to become very soft and light brown.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Cut the Canadian bacon into thin strips. When the pasta is ready, drain.

For the children, place half of the Canadian bacon in the bottom of the pasta cooking pot. Transfer half of the pasta back to the pot. Add half of the Parmesan cheese and stir. Cover until ready to serve.

For the grown-ups, stir the olives, parsley, and remaining pasta into the skillet with the onions. Add the remaining Parmesan cheese and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange on individual plates garnished with parsley.

GROWN-UPS
Calories: 370; Calories from fat: 70; Total fat: 8g; Saturated fat: 3g;
Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 550mg; Carbohydrates: 56g; Dietary fiber: 5g;
Sugar: 9g; Protein: 17g