Name: Buttered Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces egg noodles; 3 tablespoons butter; ½ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated ); salt and pepper

This easy buttered noodles recipe makes delicious and universal garnish for family meals in 15 minutes. A family favorite weeknight dinner in my cookbook with soft egg noodles coated in butter and seasoning!

The combination of butter, Parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley, and rich pasta water makes a silky buttery sauce that coats your mouth with every bite.

Gina’s Recipe Rundown:

Texture: Egg noodles have perfect texture, al dente but on the softer side. The butter sauce smothers every millimeter of the noodles.

Taste: Rich and deep butter flavor that goes well with chicken or steak.

Ease: Super simple recipe, foolproof.

Why I love it: It is a great last-minute option for dinner and goes so well with lots of different meats and veggies. A no-brainer.

I will share tips on how to make butter noodles not overly salted or too buttery yet even more flavorful with a few simple additions like Parmesan and parsley. But the secret to having the dish come together is to reuse the pasta cooking water – the starchy water thickens the buttery sauce.

Comfort has never been easier (and more satisfying). I can guarantee you will find yourself making these buttered noodles again and again! They just hard to stop eating.

Table of Contents

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One of the easiest side dish options to whip up when you don’t have much in the fridge.
So quick and easy yet sounds delicious.
Kids love buttered noodles.
Easy clean-up – it is a one-pot meal.

Ingredients Notes

Egg noodles or your favorite pasta (penne, elbow, or other pasta shapes). Ramen noodles will work too.
Butter. The most important ingredient so we absolutely have to use high-quality butter here. Look for grass-fed butter. Both unsalted butter and salted butter work, just make sure to control the salt amount if using salted butter.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Buy a block and grate at home, it will make sure the cheese isn’t coated in any anti-caking agents and won’t make lumps once we add it to the melted butter and noodles.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley

Kitchen Equipment

Large pot, but shallow or pan with tall sides.
Tongues
Colander
Microplane

How To Make Buttered Noodles

Raise your hand if you love buttered noodles! Butter is that magical ingredient that makes anything taste better, don’t you agree?

Even the simple noodles, otherwise plain, with butter, salt, and pepper are just a completely different story.

Here are 3 simple steps to make butter noodles for dinner tonight.

1: Cook The Egg Noodles

Bring lightly salted water over high heat to boil in a shallow stockpot. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, to al dente. Usually, egg noodles take about 5 minutes.
Drain the noodles, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.

2: Melt The Butter

In the same warm pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

3: Assemble & Add Parmesan cheese

Add the cooked noodles back to the pot, along with the reserved pasta water, then add Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Stir well to coat the noodles.
Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions

Buttered noodles work as a main course or side dish.

They pair well with pretty much any protein, but especially well with steak, pork chops, meatballs, chicken dishes, shrimp, or meatloaf.

For meatless meals, buttered noodles can go with roasted veggies or green salads.

Storage

Buttered noodles should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or can be frozen for 3 months.

To reheat, thaw overnight and warm up in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat.

If they feel dry, add some chicken broth or water to revive the noodles.

Substitutions & Variations

Garlic butter noodles. Garlic is another amazing ingredient to add to a buttered noodles recipe. You can use garlic powder, but fresh minced garlic would be best.
You can skip the cheese or add cheese with a stronger flavor and texture, that is easy to melt like Gouda, Cheddar, Emmental, or Gruyère.
Other flavor enhancers to make noodles more tasty: minced onion (aromatics and flavor), different fresh herbs (basil is good), crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes (for a subtle kick), lemon juice (to brighten the flavors and add a little zest). As a topping, a decadent addition would be some black truffle oil.
Turn buttered noodles into a complete meal. Add veggies, protein (chicken, sausage, or meatballs), bacon, mushrooms, leafy greens, and more seasoning.

Expert Tips To Make The Best Buttered Noodles

When there are few ingredients, the quality and freshness really matter. That’s why you need to use freshly grated or shaved parmesan, fresh ground black pepper, and really good butter as the flavor will be strong.
A shortcut to cooking pasta with lots of flavors is to use chicken broth instead of salted water as the recipe calls.
DO NOT RINSE the pasta after it is finished cooking.
I would rather add more salt to the cooked dish than over-salt it from the get-go. So you can only lightly salt the water, use unsalted butter, and add salt if needed once the dish is assembled.
Use more butter if you want extra saucy noodles.
Butter will melt faster if you cut it into cubes first.

More Egg Noodle Recipes

Ground Beef and Noodles

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Tuna Noodle Casserole

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