Parmesan cheese Recipe by: "The New James Beard" Melt the butter in a skillet, add the onion, and cook, covered, over medium heat until soft and transparent. Uncover, stir in the sugar, reduce the he and cook gently until brown, about 1 hour. Stir in the Madeira and cook 2 minutes. Toss the sauce with drained, cooked pasta, preferably tomato pasta spaghetti, or macaroni. Serve at once with grated Parmesan cheese.