Pasta with Basil Cream

Prepare the basil:
1 Roughly chop the basil and set it aside.
Caramelize the onion:
3 Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 25–30 minutes until caramelized. Stir regularly and adjust the heat as needed to prevent the onions from burning. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the basil cream:
5 As the onion cooks, combine the cream cheese and half the basil in a food processor. Pulse until completely blended. Add water, as needed, in tablespoon increments until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You will likely need 2–3 tablespoons of water total. Season with salt, to taste.
Cook the pasta:
7 Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the paccheri and cook until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
8 Add the pasta cooking water to the caramelized onion and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Add the remaining basil and the pasta and cook for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
10 Spoon the basil cream onto plates and smooth it out with the back of your spoon. Pile the pasta on top of the cream and serve with a few additional basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like. Enjoy!