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 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 or light dinner idea.

Ingredients for Butter Noodles

There are only 4 (yes 4) ingredients in butter noodles. Here is what you need:

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.

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).

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.

I’ve found that grated Parmesan works better than shredded for this recipe. It mixes in easier. You can use shredded parmesan in a pinch though.

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 would work great.

• 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!

How to Make Butter Noodles

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. Our Lemon Garlic Marinade or Savory Chicken Marinade would be great.
• Roasted broccoli (or almost any roasted veggie) is delicious on top.
• Stir in fresh pesto. Yum!

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!

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.