The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
If you need an easy 20-minute meal, these Buttered Noodles will save the day! All you need is butter, Parmesan cheese, simple herbs, and a hint of lemon juice. Serve this with garlic bread with cheese, roasted green beans, steak or chicken!
Be sure to try my Shrimp Scampi recipe next!
Buttered Noodles
There is something about the pure simplicity of buttered noodles that you just can’t beat. And while I respect some recipes that only call for butter and noodles, I’m here to give you something that tastes much better and is just as quick to make.
A simple combination of herbs, butter, Parmesan cheese, pasta water, and a hint of lemon juice is all you need. Adults and kids will just flip over this easy recipe. Check out everything you need to know below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Boil pasta water and add pasta. Cook according to instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
Add the butter to the warm pot that you boiled the pasta in and allow it to melt.
Add reserved pasta water and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to the Parmesan cheese mixture. Cover and shake to combine.
Add pasta to the pot with the butter and add Parmesan cheese/Pasta water mixture on top.
Use kitchen tongs to toss until combined and serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Pro Tips
- Use high quality butter and Parmesan cheese. My brands of choice are Land O’ Lakes butter and BelGioioso Parmesan cheese.
- Be sure to grate the cheese from a block instead of using a bag of shredded cheese. The flavor and consistency is much better.
- Egg noodles, fettuccine, or pappardelle work well for this recipe, (I used pappardelle, link in ‘tools’ section below).
- Add 1-2 bouillon cubes to the boiling pasta water to add even more flavor to the noodles.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Buttered Noodles
- Tuscan Chicken or Mushroom Chicken
- Pork Chops in Gravy
- Salisbury Steak
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken or Chicken Milanese
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets or Fried Chicken Tenders
- Filet Mignon
- Roasted Vegetables
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Pappardelle Pasta– My favorite for this recipe.
- Jar with lid- Perfect for combing pasta water, Parmesan cheese, seasonings, and lemon juice.
- Kitchen Tongs– Makes it easy to toss the pasta in the butter sauce.
Try These Next
-
- Creamy Chicken Pasta
-
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
-
- No Knead Bread
-
- Homemade Pizza
-
- Homemade Ramen
-
- Cajun Shrimp
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta, egg noodles or pappardelle work well
- ¼ cup pasta water
- ½ chicken bouillon cube, optional
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Combine shredded Parmesan cheese, oregano, parsley, and garlic powder in a small, sealable plastic or glass container (so you can add pasta water and shake to combine later). Set aside.
- Begin boiling pasta water. Once a boil is reached, salt it generously. (I use 1/2 tbsp. Kosher salt.)
- Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
- Optional: Combine the warm pasta water with 1/2 chicken bouillon cube for even more flavor!
- Add the butter to the warm pot that you boiled the pasta in and allow it to melt. Then add the pasta and toss to combine.
- Combine the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese/seasonings. Shake to combine and pour it over the pasta.
- Use kitchen tongs to toss until combined and serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Notes
- Use high quality butter and Parmesan cheese. My brands of choice are Land O' Lakes butter and BelGioioso Parmesan cheese.
- Be sure to grate the cheese from a block instead of using a bag of shredded cheese. The flavor and consistency is much better.
- Egg noodles, fettuccine, or pappardelle work well for this recipe, (I used pappardelle, link in 'tools' section below).
- Add 1-2 bouillon cubes to the boiling pasta water to add even more flavor to the noodles.
This looks perfect! Can you use fresh herbs instead of dried? If so would you alter the amount?
Hi Leslie! 1/2 Tbsp herbs can be subbed for 1/2 teaspoon! Fresh Parsley would be great, fresh oregano may be too potent as it’s not really cooked down in this recipe. ❤️
These are a favorite. I used to take bread crumbs and brown them in a small fry pan in a little butter and sprinkle on top of the noodles. So good and that small crunch.😇
Yummmm, such a good idea for adding a little crunch Susan! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Buttered Noodles, thanks for the great review!💕
Absolutely delicious. I used Trader Joe’s fresh egg noodles and served it with chicken and my picky eaters gobbled it up! This one is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing!!
You’re very welcome Robin! I’m so happy it was a success with the picky eaters! Thanks so much for the great review!💗
It sounds quick and easy
It is! 🙂 It goes with everything too, which I love!
THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! I have been searching for this exact recipe for years. Growing up, a local deli for 30+years had served this pasta with the exact noodles (called butter noodles). They had stop making it for several years. I couldn’t figure out the favor bc it had been some time since I have ate it. I knew it wasn’t cheesy and I knew it had more than a butter flavor. The chicken bouillon is a must. It was SPOT on. I never write reviews but I had to write you to thank you! Great suggestion to add everything in a jar. The pappadarelle pasta can be found at Trader Joe’s and it’s organic under $3.
Wahoooooo! I’m so happy the search is over Samira! I love Trader Joes pappardelle😋. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
The Cozy Cook perfected the Buttered Noodles recipe!!! Absolutely devine!!! We served them with Miss Stephanie’s sumptuous Tuscan Chicken!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the Buttered Noodles Rita! I love that you served it with the Tuscan Chicken. Sounds like a great meal!😋 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
We absolutely love the Tuscan Chicken and Butter Noodles!!! Stephanie totally knocked this one out of the park!!!!
Did you use dried herbs or fresh?
I used dried! 🙂
Okay that’s what I thought! The picture just looked so nice it made me doubt, lol. Excited to try this and your Tuscan chicken recipe tonight!
Great, sounds like the best combo ever!! I hope you love it! 🙂
These noodles were so easy to make and really tasty! Hubby, me, and our 3 little ones (12 months, 2 years, and 5 years) thoroughly enjoyed them. I was looking for a carb to pair with grilled salmon and this was perfect! One thing that I think really made the dish was the grated parmesan – I normally use pre-shredded/grated parmesan to save time, but I took Stephanie’s advice and bought a hunk of cheese to grate. It really didn’t take much time at all and the flavor and texture was just amazing!!!! Thanks for another easy and yummy recipe!!!!! xoxo
Hi Irene!! I am sooo happy that you enjoyed this recipe and that you loved using the block of cheese, I’m obsessed with doing that, makes such a difference! I really appreciate you taking the time to come and leave a review, you are THE best! 🙂
So simple but delicious. I used Fettucine and didn’t have any bouillon so I left that out. It was still a huge hit with the family!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that Jackie!!