Easy Buttered Noodles

Buttered noodles with real Parmesan cheese and parsley are an easy and delicious recipe using pantry staples you already have on hand. Great for quick lunches and no-fuss dinners!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated April 28, 2022
Elise Bauer
Easy Buttered Noodles
Elise Bauer

Who doesn't love buttered noodles? The only problem I have with them is that I can easily eat them all if they're set before me.

Ingredients You Need To Make Buttered Noodles

Noodles, butter, Parm, and parsley. That's it, with a little salt and pepper. Serve them with chicken, pork chops, or steak. Make extra!

Easy Buttered Noodles
Elise Bauer
0:47

Watch This Easy Buttered Noodles Recipe

The Best Pasta for Buttered Noodles

This recipe calls for egg noodles, which are classic for buttered noodles. But, the beauty of buttered noodles is that you can use almost any dried, unstuffed pasta you have in your pantry, following the cooking directions on the package. Try some of these other pasta shapes.

  • Spaghetti
  • Elbow macaroni
  • Penne
  • Rigatoni
  • Orecchiette
  • Ziti
  • Farfalle

Tips for the Easy Buttered Pasta

  • Add a good amount of salt, at least a heaping teaspoon, to the water before boiling the pasta.
  • Make sure to save the pasta water. Adding the starchy water to the butter and noodles will make the simple buttery sauce thicker and silky.
  • Ensure the pasta is cooked enough by tasting it before draining to make sure it's cooked properly.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese instead of the shelf-stable grated Parmesan in the shaker container.
  • Although the pasta will be seasoned with salt in the boiling water, it will probably need more salt before serving. If needed, don't hesitate to add more salt to taste after adding the Parmesan cheese.

Serve Buttered Pasta With These Family-Approved Recipes

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Easy Buttered Noodles

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Total Time 13 mins
Servings 4 servings

Feel free to substitute other hard cheeses for the Parmesan such as pecorino, asiago, Emmental, Gruyère, or Manchego.


Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning, divided

  • 8 ounces egg noodles

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Cook the noodles:

    Heat 2 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a large pot on high heat until boiling. Add the egg noodles. Cook for 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the noodles.

  2. Add the butter, cheese, parsley:

    Place the drained hot noodles in a large bowl. Add the butter and Parmesan and stir until the butter has melted. Stir in a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water. Stir in the chopped parsley. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
143 Calories
8g Fat
15g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 1044mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 42mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.