Easy Buttered Noodles Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Enjoy this simple and economical side dish recipe! Be sure to pin it to make later.