Some Italian dishes have traveled the world, and others, it seems, have hardly left home. As I’ve said before, Piemontese cooking is much less known than that of neighboring regions. Panna cotta is the most famous export, followed perhaps by vitello tonnato—not to mention Nutella. If porcini and pumpkins signal the arrival of autumn, this is the dish that says “Now it’s getting cold.”
It’s a classic family dish from the wine country of Piemonte; you could even call it a peasant dish. At the same time, the stuffed onions feel strangely contemporary and elegant, like they had been conceived recently by an inventive chef on the prowl for accolades. Whatever it feels like, this recipe is absolutely delicious, and I like to make it when I host dinner parties at home.
Everyone gets their own onion, which is always a nice touch and easy to serve. Most people (outside of Piemonte) have never had it before, so it gets the guests talking. Most important, everyone loves it.
Baked Stuffed Onions
Ingredients
- 150 g stale bread cubed
- ½ cup whole milk
- 9 large yellow onions
- 300 g Bra sausage or pork sausage casings removed
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley finely chopped
- 50 g Toma di Roccaverano cheese, grated or a good melting cheese like Asiago
- 1 tbsp dried bread crumbs
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place bread in large bowl. Toss with milk and let sit until milk is absorbed and bread is soft, about 10 minutes.
- Cut off the top ½ in (1¼ cm) of each onion, then trim the bottom so that the onion sits flat. Leave the onions in their peels. Using a spoon, scoop out centre of each onion, being careful not to pierce bottom and leaving 2 to 3 outer layers intact. Season generously with salt and pepper. Finely chop scooped-out onion interiors.
- Using your hands, squeeze out any excess milk from soaked bread and drain milk. In same bowl, add sausage, parsley, Toma cheese, chopped onion and bread crumbs. Season with 1¼ teaspoons of salt and some pepper. Mix vigorously until well combined and smooth.
- Place onions hollow-side up in 9×13-in (23×33-cm) baking dish. Stuff sausage mixture into onions, packing it tightly and mounding any extra filling on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Place rosemary springs in baking dish and pour in ½ cup water. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until onions are golden and filling is bubbling. Alternatively, if entertaining, you can also do this in individual baking trays (see photo). Let onions cool for 5 minutes before serving.
