Buttered Noodles

5 from 1 vote

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

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.

Nutrition