Butter Noodles
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Butter noodles are a quick and easy, one-pot pantry recipe that you should always have on hand. It’s a go-to dish for a simple lunch or no-fuss dinner.
I kid you not when I say I make a variation of this recipe at least once a week.
It’s a go-to recipe for when I’m feeling lazy, kids love it, and it makes a great side dish for recipes like our Lemon Garlic Chicken, Crispy Chicken Cutlets, or our Baked Chicken Parmesan.
Ingredients
There are only 4 (yes 4) ingredients in butter noodles. Here is what you need:
Pasta
More on this below but almost any non-stuffed pasta will work. Whole wheat pasta is a healthier option, and gluten-free pasta works as well. My kids prefer linguine noodles or egg noodles, but I have used other types.
Butter
Use salted butter if you have it. If not, no worries. You can season it up at the end. If you are avoiding dairy, then just use a vegan butter or ghee (a lactose-free version of butter).
Garlic Salt
I have yet to meet a butter noodle recipe out there that uses garlic salt, and I have no idea why. It brings the best of both flavors all in one ingredient.
Don’t have garlic salt on hand? According to McCormick, you can always substitute your own blend of garlic powder and salt. The ratio is roughly three parts salt to one part garlic powder.
Grated Parmesan
I’ve found that grated Parmesan works better than shredded for this recipe. It mixes in more easily. You can use shredded parmesan in a pinch though.
Variations of the Recipe
When I make this for my kids, I often split it in half and jazz up the pasta for the adults. Here are some ways I make butter noodles a bit more exciting:
- Chop and stir in fresh herbs at the end, like basil or parsley.
- Make Creamy Lemon Pasta Sauce and drizzle that over the butter noodles.
- Add cooked shrimp, like our easy Mediterranean Shrimp!
- Make our super quick homemade Cheese Sauce to serve over it.
- Make Baked Italian Meatballs to go with the pasta.
- Add chicken to the butter noodles. Ou Savory Chicken Marinade would be great.
- Roasted broccoli (or almost any roasted veggie) is delicious on top.
- Stir in fresh pesto. Yum!
How to Make Butter Noodles
Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta. Cook according to the pasta instructions.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot
Add in the butter and stir it until it melts in.
Add in the garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe FAQs
Egg noodles are typically the noodle of choice for butter noodles. But, as mentioned above, you can use almost any dried, unstuffed pasta you have in your pantry. Just follow the cooking directions on the package. Here are some ideas that work well:
–Spaghetti or linguine
–Bow tie pasta (Farfalle)
–Egg noodles
–Elbow macaroni
–Rigatoni
–Orecchiette
–Ziti
Since all pasta cooks differently, be sure to look at the instructions!
This butter noodle recipe isn’t winning any health awards, but one way to make it healthier is to use whole wheat noodles. Kids might notice a difference since whole wheat noodles have a bit of a different taste and texture – especially when served this way- but it’s worth a shot!
5 Pasta-Making Tips
- Do not use a pot that is too small. You want to use a pot that leaves plenty of room for the pasta to expand as it cooks. The noodles need to be able to move freely. It’s always better to use lots of water!
- Salt the water. Add a generous pinch of salt before or after the water starts to boil. Don’t fret. The pasta doesn’t actually absorb all the salt, it just helps to flavor the noodles a bit.
- Do not add the pasta to the water until the water comes to a full, rolling boil. If you add the pasta too soon, the pasta sits in water that is not hot enough and the noodles get gummy and sticky.
- Stir the pasta as soon as you put it into the pot. This will keep it from clinging together. Be sure to stir pasta occasionally as it boils too.
- Drain but don’t rinse the pasta. I made this mistake for years! Rinsing the pasta removes the starch which helps the buttery sauce cling to the noodles.
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Butter Noodles
Butter noodles are a quick and easy, one-pot pantry recipe that you should always have on hand. It’s a go-to dish for a quick lunch or no-fuss dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried pasta (i.e. egg noodles, linguine, thin spaghetti, etc)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
-
Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta. Cook according to the pasta instructions.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Add in the butter and stir it until it melts in.
- Add in the garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes/Tips
- Optional: Salt the water. Add a generous pinch of salt before or after the water starts to boil. Don’t fret. The pasta doesn’t actually absorb all the salt, it just helps to flavor the noodles a bit.
- Gluten-Free Version: This works well with almost any gluten-free pasta. We prefer Banza brand, though.
- Dairy-Free Version: Use vegan butter or ghee (a lactose-free version of butter). Either omit the Parmesan cheese or try substituting a dairy-free version like this one.
Thanks for the recipe. I used your garlic herb butter and mixed in some cut up artichoke bottoms.
Hi Leighbee! Your additions sounds delicious, thanks for sharing!
This was an easy win with my three picky boys! All three loved it and said it was delicious. Thanks for such an easy side-dish recipe! We paired it with your chicken meatballs and it was a hit for the whole family.
Yay! Love to hear what sides and main dishes people pair together – especially when it’s a hit for the whole family. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Melinda!
I loved this recipe. I tweaked it a bit with other seasonings but this was great.
Hi Tiffany. I love how butter noodles can be tweaked with any kind of seasonings to fit your family’s palate. Glad you love it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Easy and very good!!
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This is now a go-to recipe I use for my picky eater. I make him this and then jazz mine up with a different sauce. Great down-the-pipe easy recipe!