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Simple, buttery, Parmesan cheesy goodness, these Buttered Noodles are so rich and comforting with the perfect touch of fresh parsley for added herb flavor. It’s a one-pot recipe that only requires 4 ingredients and can be made in under 20 minutes!
Easy Buttered Noodles Recipe
Buttered noodles remind me of my childhood. It’s one of those simple dishes that is so good and loved by even the pickiest kid. Perfectly cooked yummy egg noodles then slathered in butter and tossed with a bit of cheese. My mouth is watering just talking about it!
And this recipe is basically taking the base of simple buttered noodles and elevating them a tad more with an easy butter sauce, better cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Better yet, the recipe is super quick and easy. To me, these buttered noodles are almost like a much simpler version of my Spaghetti Carbonara, One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta, or Easy Pasta Alfredo. Yet, just as tasty, but using fewer ingredients and quicker to make.
Also, added bonus! This noodle recipe is not only a fantastic main dish when served with a side like my Roasted Asparagus or Kale Salad, but can be served as a side itself with main dishes like my Lemon Pepper Chicken or Shrimp Scampi. Not to forget, kids just love them!
Why We Love These Buttered Noodles
- Comforting Buttery Bliss! Rich egg noodles tossed with salty butter along with savory Parmesan cheese and a bit of fresh parsley that highlights the creamy butter even more! These noodles are so buttery and delicious!
- Quick and Easy! The simple one-pot recipe is not only affordable, but only requires 4 easy to find ingredients and takes just under 20 minutes to make!
- Family Friendly! Kids love buttered noodles! And this recipe for buttered noodles is so versatile. The noodles can be served as a main course with a side added or as a side to the main course.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Egg Noodles– I used regular ribbon style egg noodles for this recipe. Yolk-free versions are also an option. And if you’re in a pinch, Italian tagliatelle or pappardelle noodles, which have a high egg content, will work well too.
- Salted Butter – It’s the second most important ingredient in this recipe. The butter completes the dish by adding richness and helping to meld salt into the noodles.
- Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is the ideal choice. It adds both hints of savory salt and delicious fresh cheesiness to the noodles.
- Parsley – Fresh finely chopped parsley adds aromatic herb flavor as well as color to the dish. You can use dried parsley if you don’t have any fresh on hand, but I strongly advise you to use fresh for the yummiest buttered noodles.
- Seasoning – Salt and black pepper are added to your taste right before serving.
- Boil the egg noodles: Fill a large pot halfway full with water and then add about a tablespoon of salt. Now, bring the water to a boil, add the egg noodles, and cook them for about 5 minutes.
- Reserve cooking water and drain: First reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Then drain the noodles using a colander and set them aside.
- Melt the butter: Add the salted butter to the same pot you cooked the noodles in and melt it over medium heat. Then add about half of the reserved noodle water and stir to combine.
- Add the noodles, cheese, and parsley: Add the cooked noodles to the butter mixture along with the Parmesan cheese, and fresh chopped parsley. Then stir to combine. If the noodles are dry add more reserved noodle cooking water a little at a time as needed. Once you have reached your desired consistency, taste the buttered noodles and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the buttered noodles to your favorite serving dish and then top with more grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. This dish is best served warm right after being cooked.
Can I Make Gluten-Free Buttered Noodles?
Yes! Just use your favorite brand of gluten-free egg noodles. You can also use any other type of pasta you like if you can’t find egg noodles that are gluten-free.
Can I Make Vegan Buttered Noodles?
Yes! But vegan egg noodles are not easy to find. Yet, any type of noodle will work. Some of my favorite vegan pasta options for this recipe are spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, or bowtie. Then just use vegan butter and a vegan Parmesan cheese alternative. You can easily find vegan Parmesan cheese now being sold at the grocery store, but another great option is to use nutritional yeast flakes. The flakes have a natural nutty cheesy flavor, melt right into the pasta, and also add a bit of protein to the dish.
Can I Use Other Types Of Noodles?
Yes! Italian tagliatelle or pappardelle noodles are probably the most comparable to ribbon shaped egg noodles. However, any type of pasta will work perfectly.
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead Of Time?
No, sadly buttered noodles do not hold well. This is a dish you want to make and then eat. Leftovers the next day are fantastic, but it’s not really a make-ahead meal. The good news is that it’s such an easy meal you can have it made from start to finish in just 20 minutes anyway!
Expert Tips
- Salt the water well. Do not be afraid to salt your water with a lot of salt. I’m talking like a full rounded tablespoon. Dry noodles don’t have much flavor and salting the water really well not only seasons them as they cook, but brings out the yummy natural flavor of the egg in the noodles.
- Reserve cooking water. Make sure to reserve the cup of noodle salted water. The starch in the pasta water works to thicken the melted butter into a sauce and adds salty savory goodness too.
- Quality butter matters. It’s important to use higher quality products for the most developed flavor in simple recipes that highlight just a handful of ingredients. Irish butter is a fantastic opinion for this recipe as is French butter, and both choices will add an unbelievable richness to the dish.
- Grated cheese works best. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds the most flavor and melts well when tossed with buttered noodles.
- Add some garlic. If you love garlic, sauté some garlic in the butter for that garlic flavor!
Leftovers
You can store leftover noodles in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, first just add a little water or milk to loosen them up a bit. Then cover the noodles and you can put them in the microwave for about 4 minutes on medium power or heat them in a saucepan on the stove.
I do not recommend freezing leftover plain buttered noodles. They will most likely turn to mush in the freezer. However, you can easily add them to stock or soup that you plan to freeze. Egg noodles will freeze well this way and for about up to 3 months.
Other Easy Pasta Recipes To Try
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
- Greek Chicken Pasta
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Creamy Carbonara
- Chow Mein
- Creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti
- Gnocchi Recipe
Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound egg noodles
- ½ cup butter salted
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the egg noodles: Fill a large pot halfway full with water and then add about a tablespoon of salt. Now, bring the water to a boil, add the egg noodles, and cook them for about 5 minutes.
- Reserve cooking water and drain: First reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Then drain the noodles using a colander and set them aside.
- Melt the butter: Add the salted butter to the same pot you cooked the noodles in and melt it over medium heat. Then add about half of the reserved noodle water and stir to combine.
- Add the noodles, cheese, and parsley: Add the cooked noodles to the butter mixture along with the Parmesan cheese, and fresh chopped parsley. Then stir to combine. If the noodles are dry add more reserved noodle cooking water a little at a time as needed. Once you have reached your desired consistency, taste the buttered noodles and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the buttered noodles to your favorite serving dish and then top with more grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. This dish is best served warm right after being cooked.
Tips & Notes:
- Salt the water well. Do not be afraid to salt your water with a lot of salt. I’m talking like a full rounded tablespoon. Dry noodles don’t have much flavor and salting the water really well not only seasons them as they cook, but brings out the yummy natural flavor of the egg in the noodles.
- Reserve cooking water. Make sure to reserve the cup of noodle cooking water. The starch in the pasta water works to thicken the melted butter into a sauce and adds salty savory goodness too.
- Quality butter matters. It’s important to use higher quality products for the most developed flavor in simple recipes that highlight just a handful of ingredients. Irish butter is a fantastic opinion for this recipe as is French butter, and both choices will add an unbelievable richness to the dish.
- Grated cheese works best. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds the most flavor and melts well when tossed with buttered noodles.
- You can store leftover noodles in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, first just add a little water or milk to loosen them up a bit. Then cover the noodles and you can put them in the microwave for about 4 minutes on medium power or heat them in a saucepan on the stove.
- I do not recommend freezing leftover plain buttered noodles. They will most likely turn to mush in the freezer. However, you can easily add them to stock or soup that you plan to freeze. Egg noodles will freeze well this way and for about up to 3 months.
