Pasta with Broccoli and Caramelized Onions

2 onions
2 tablespoons oil
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound uncooked small salad macaroni or other small pasta
¼ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or more to taste
salt and pepper

1. Peel the onions and slice them into thin rounds. Place the oil and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. While the onions are cooking, cut the florets from the broccoli and discard the stems.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until al dente. Al dente basically means not mushy. After the pasta has been cooking for 6 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta water for the remainder of the cooking time. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
4. Add the drained pasta and broccoli, almonds and balsamic vinegar to the pan of onions and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. You can add more vinegar if you want.

Serves 4
Adapted from Megan Carle and Jill Carle’s College Vegetarian Cooking