Buttered Noodles are the classic and simple side dish that goes with everything! Learn how to make the best buttered pasta, with optional garlic and parmesan cheese.
I think we all enjoyed a plate of buttered noodles as a kid, and I know that as an adult I still love buttered pasta. It’s a simple to make comfort food that will never go out of style.
Make your favorite pasta, then toss it with butter and if you like, a handful of parmesan cheese and some minced garlic. Serve buttered noodles with your favorite saucy dinner entrees, like Cream of Mushroom Chicken, Creamy Garlic Shrimp, or creamy Tuscan Salmon.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta: Any type of dried pasta can be used to make buttered noodles. Here I’m using rigatoni.
- Butter: For this savory dish I like to use salted butter. If you happen to only have unsalted, just add a bit more salt at the end. It’s helpful if your butter is softened so that it will melt more easily into the hot pasta.
- Salt and Pepper: Use as much as you like to make this butter noodles recipe perfect for your family.
Optional Ingredients for Buttered Noodles
You can make buttered noodles with just pasta, butter, salt, and pepper. They will be delicious! But if you want to make your noodles extra special, add a few more things to really elevate the flavor.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Cheesy buttery noodles are so good! You can add as much as you feel like adding.
- Fresh Garlic: Minced very finely, garlic will warm up with the noodles, no need to even cook it before tossing it in. A bit of garlic powder could be used as well.
- Chopped Parsley: A bit of this fresh herb gives a bright flavor to buttered noodles.
How to Make Buttered Noodles
- Cook Pasta: In a saucepan over medium heat bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the noodles. Then cook the noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Each type of pasta will be different, but typically it will take 9 to 13 minutes.
- Drain: Save ¼ cup of the pasta water. Then remove from heat and drain the rest of the water from the pasta. Leave the cooked noodles in the saucepan.
- Add Butter: Add the butter to the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and add the reserved pasta water. Toss with tongs or stir with a spatula until well combined. The stirring will melt the butter and emulsify the sauce. Add grated parmesan and garlic if desired, and toss again.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve as a side dish with chicken, fish, or meat.
Buttered Noodles Tips
- Use any type of noodles: Egg Noodles, short pasta, long pasta, they will all work in this recipe. You can even use gluten free noodles or whole wheat noodles.
- Parmesan is salty: If you plan to add parmesan cheese, reduce the amount of salt that you add in step 3. You can always add more salt, you can’t take it away.
- Don’t forget the pasta water! It’s important to pull out a small amount of pasta water before pouring it down the drain. We need it to make the silky, buttery sauce for our noodles.
What to Serve with Buttered Noodles
Saucy Meals: Noodles are great at soaking up delicious sauces. Try making this creamy Tuscan Salmon, Creamy Lemon Chicken, or Chicken Cacciatore.
Kid-Friendly Dinners: Kids love buttered noodles! If you’re cooking for little ones, make something else you know that they’ll love, like Homemade Sloppy Joes , Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets, or Buttermilk Chicken Tenders.
Instant Pot Meals: Many of my favorite instant pot meals include a delicious sauce. Try Instant Pot Creamy Mustard Chicken, or Instant Pot Pork Chops with these buttered noodles on the side.
FAQs
Don’t rinse the noodles. There’s no need to rinse the pasta after draining it. We want it to stay nice and hot.
Pasta water is a combination of hot water and starches given off by the cooked pasta. The starch helps to make a thickened sauce that sticks to the pasta.
Try adding a bit of soup base or a bouillon cube to the pasta cooking water to add more flavor to buttered noodles. Your favorite seasonings are all welcome in this recipe as well.
The recommended portion per person is 2 ounces or half a cup of dried pasta. That’s around 60 grams in total.
More Pasta Sauces To Try
All Pasta Recipes ➜
Enjoy this simple and economical side dish recipe! Be sure to pin it to make later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (225g) dried noodles/pasta
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional ingredients
- Grated parmesan
- 1 clove garlic minced
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a saucepan, over medium heat bring water to a boil (about 6 cups). When the water boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the noodles. Then cook to al dente according to the package instructions (usually 9-13 minutes depends on the type of pasta and its shape).
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then remove from heat and drain the rest of the water. Leave the cooked noodles in the saucepan.
- Add the butter, season with salt and pepper and add the reserved pasta water. Toss with tongs or just stir with a spatula until well combined. The stirring will melt the butter and emulsify the sauce. Add grated parmesan and garlic if desired, and toss again. Serve as a side dish with chicken, fish, or meat.
Notes:
- Portion: The recommended pasta portion is 2 oz or ½ cup per person.
- Use any type of noodles: Egg Noodles, short pasta, long pasta, they will all work in this recipe. You can even use gluten free noodles or whole wheat noodles.
- Parmesan is salty: If you plan to add parmesan cheese, reduce the amount of salt that you add in step 3. You can always add more salt, you can’t take it away.
- Don’t forget the pasta water! It’s important to pull out a small amount of pasta water before pouring it down the drain. We need it to make the silky, buttery sauce for our noodles.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Heidi says
This recipe is so easy and so good. Go ahead and add the garlic (minced) and parsley. The Parmesan cheese is left for individuals to sprinkle on their portions to taste. However, I forgot to save the pasta water- so I added a lil chicken broth and lil olive oil instead
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That’s a great tip, Heidi! Enjoy!
Sara Tercero says
Thank you for sharing this, its now become a regular side dish in our home. Kid’s love the recipe as is, and Mom throws a little garlic and basil on hers. A weekday dinner with no fuss and no complaints… priceless!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
It really is priceless! I’m glad that this easy recipe is such a hit with your family.
Heather says
I added peas. Delish
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Oh! I love that idea! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and sharing your tips.