Buttered Noodles

4.6
(147)

Buttered noodles are simple to make with your favorite pasta, butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper for a quick and easy, kid-friendly dish. Fresh herbs and a little lemon juice could be added to amp up the flavor. Perfect to serve either as-is or alongside steak, chicken, or meatballs. It's such a delicious recipe, yet I get many questions on how to make it.

43
43
43
43
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
8

You may be wondering: "Do I really need a recipe for buttered noodles?" The answer, of course, is yes. This kid-friendly recipe results in perfect noodles tossed in exactly the right amount of butter. Once you try these four-ingredient buttered noodles, you'll never go back to your old method again.

Buttered Noodles Ingredients

Believe it or not, you can make this incredibly simple dish with just four ingredients:

  • Noodles: This recipe calls for fettuccine noodles, but you could use any noodles you have on hand, from penne to spaghetti.
  • Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. Since you'll add more salt at the end, you might want to opt for unsalted (depending on your taste, of course).
  • Parmesan: Grated Parmesan cheese takes this dish up a notch. Buttered noodles don't technically require cheese, so you can leave it out if you want.
  • Salt and Pepper: Finish off this easy buttered noodles recipe with salt and ground black pepper.

From the Editor

Optional additions: You don't need to add anything to this buttered noodles recipe, especially if you want to keep things super simple. However, you could shake things up a bit with one (or more) of the following additions: Broccoli, asparagus, herbs (such as parsley or basil), shrimp, sausage, chicken, minced or powdered garlic, and crushed red pepper.

How to Make Buttered Noodles

It really couldn't be simpler to make buttered noodles at home. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

Boil the fettuccine in lightly salted water until it's tender, yet still firm. Drain the pasta in a colander, then return it to the pot. Mix butter, cheese, salt, and pepper into the cooked noodles until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Recipe Tip

Use 4 tablespoons of butter if you prefer less saucy noodles.

What to Serve With Buttered Noodles

The beauty of buttered noodles? It can work as either a side dish or an entree. What you pair with it depends on how you're serving it.

As a Side Dish

Basic buttered noodles make a great, carb-loaded side dish for hearty mains. In fact, it's a great substitute for mashed potatoes in almost any situation. For instance, try buttered noodles with one of these tasty ideas:

Explore our entire collection of Main Dish Recipes.

As a Main Dish

If you're planning to serve the buttered noodles as a main dish, try pairing it with one of these light sides:

Explore our entire collection of Side Dish Recipes.

How to Store Buttered Noodles

Store your leftover buttered noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Perfect side dish," raves Reginamarie. "Always looking for recipes that can easily be made low sodium! I used unsalted butter and seasoned it with a little garlic powder and pepper! Hubby and I both loved it! Thanks for the recipe!"

"Definitely would make them again," says Peggy. "The grandchildren said they were the best noodles they ever had! They want them with every meal now! We all loved them!"

"I was a bit hesitant because there were so few ingredients, but these noodles turned out really good," according to Lisa Noel Rodgers. "I didn't need to add anything."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package fettuccine noodles

  • 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

  • cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Overhead of the ingredients for butter noodles in various sized bowls with noodles off to the side.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil.

  3. Stir in fettuccine, bring back to a boil, and cook pasta over medium heat until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

    Overhead of pasta noodles boiling in a large pot.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Drain and return pasta to pot. Mix butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper into pasta until evenly combined.

  5. Serve hot and enjoy!

    overhead view of buttered noodles in a bowl garnished with cheese

    DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

294 Calories
11g Fat
41g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 294
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 135mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 9g
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 113mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

You’ll Also Love