Directions

• In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring often, until onions are a deep caramel brown, about 25-30 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and thyme; cook another 1-2 minutes. Add white wine; simmer another 1-2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to the pan; stir in orecchiette. Pour in just enough beef stock to cover the pasta; set aside the remaining beef stock. Increase the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Once the liquid is fully absorbed, stir in additional beef stock; continue to simmer and add more beef stock as needed until the orecchiette is cooked to al dente, about 10-13 minutes.
• Stir in sherry vinegar. Place warmed half-and-half in a liquid measuring cup; add a scoop of the pasta liquid to the half-and-half; stir to temper it. Stir mixture back into the pasta. Simmer another 30 seconds; remove pan from the heat when pasta is saucy but not liquidy.
• Stir in shredded Gruyere cheese until melted. Spoon pasta into shallow serving bowls. Garnish with additional thyme and pepper. Serve while hot.