If you’re reading this and wondering, aren’t buttered noodles just cooked noodles and melted butter? They could be, but not my version! For the best buttered noodles, stir noodles into a mixture of pasta cooking water, butter, and parmesan. They taste SO much better. For another easy pasta recipe with the same ingredients, see my fettuccine Alfredo.
Key Ingredients
Noodles: I love using egg noodles (like the ones we use in chicken noodle soup), but you can substitute other pasta shapes. Spaghetti, linguini, or curly pasta shapes are perfect for catching the sauce. Parmesan: If you have some parmesan on hand, use it! It makes this dish taste so much better. It adds a salty and flavorful element to the sauce. You can leave it out for plain buttered noodles. Butter: I love using rich European-style salted butter in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have. Herbs and Black Pepper: Fresh parsley or basil are excellent for finishing your buttered noodles, but they are optional. I also love to add a sprinkle of black pepper for extra flavor.
How to Make the Best Buttered Noodles
My buttered noodles are so simple and yet taste so good! You can enjoy them as your main meal or serve them as a side dish with meatloaf, my favorite kale salad, or juicy pork chops. The combination of butter, cheese, and starchy pasta water creates a velvety, buttery sauce that lightly coats the noodles. To make them, you’ll cook your pasta until almost done (it finishes cooking in the sauce). Then, save some of the pasta cooking water and add it to the noodles with butter and parmesan. At first, it will seem too thin, but with some time and stirring, the cheese and butter will melt, and the starch in the pasta water will do its job and turn them into a smooth and luscious sauce. Salt 2 ounces (60g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 3 tablespoons (42g) butter Handful chopped or torn herbs like basil, parsley or chives Fresh ground black pepper for serving 2Cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time on the package. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. 3Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain pasta and return it to the pot. 4Add parmesan, butter, and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the noodles. Set the pot over low heat. Use tongs to toss the noodles, butter, and cheese around the pan for one minute. 5Take the pan off the heat, then cover with a lid. Leave for one minute. 6Uncover the pot and toss the noodles a few more times in the sauce. If the pasta looks dry, add a splash of more pasta water. If it seems wet, don’t worry—the pasta absorbs some extra moisture as it cools. 7Stir in herbs, taste, and adjust with additional salt. 8Serve with more parmesan and fresh ground black pepper on top.
