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One Pan Buttered Noodles is a fast and easy side dish, and it’s totally cozy comfort food. It cooks all in one pan, and creates a luscious, buttery sauce as it simmers.
When you need a simple side dish to serve with your favorite Baked Pork Chops, Baked Salmon or chicken recipe, buttered noodles is the perfect choice! With just a few minutes of prep and less than 15 minutes of cooking time, this recipe is fast, easy and so delicious.
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The Best Buttered Noodles Recipe
The first time I tested this recipe was a late night movie night with my husband. He declared it the best buttered noodles recipe ever, if not the best recipe ever! I had added parmesan cheese to the finished dish and we scarfed it down. Truth be told, I’d happily munch on pasta over popcorn any day!
The second time I tested it, I made it as a side dish for my grilled chicken. I doubled the recipe and ended up with a little liquid left in the pan, so the third time I adjusted the liquid and it was perfect (see recipe notes below).
The best part is that it all cooks in one pan – no draining required! As the pasta boils it releases starches that thicken the liquid to form the sauce. These buttered noodles are creamy, buttery and so rich and luscious. Perfect as a simple side dish or a late night indulgence.
How to Make One Pan Buttered Noodles
- Heat some water, chicken broth and butter in a large pot on the stove.
- Add the noodles. I vacillate between egg noodles and spaghetti noodles, but you could use linguine or rotini, too. The cooking time may vary for each different kind of pasta.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to about a medium-low, and keep stirring the noodles for about 10-12 minutes until they’re fully cooked. Occasionally I’ll have a little liquid left in the pan and I just spoon it out. If you plan to add cheese, you definitely do need a little bit of liquid left.
- Add more butter and toss it all together so all of the noodles are covered with the luscious, buttery sauce.
Are Buttered Noodles Healthy?
The main ingredients in this recipe are butter and noodles . While this is not a low calorie side dish, you can make them better for you by using whole wheat noodles and reducing the amount of butter.
Recipes Notes and Tips
- Doubling the buttered noodles recipe: This recipe is really easy to double. You need to have a pan that’s large enough (I love Calphalon’s Everyday Pan; it’s 12 inches around and about 3 inches deep). You won’t quite need double the amount of liquid, so if there’s extra left in the pan just ladle it out.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Freezing is not recommend – this dish is best fresh.
- Parmesan buttered noodles: stir in ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan at the end.
- Garlic buttered noodles: Add 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, to the boiling water and cook with the pasta.
Serve Buttered Noodles With:
Noodles are total comfort food and they pretty much go with anything. Some of our favorite entrees to serve with buttered noodles:
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or Baked Chicken Nuggets – What goes better with a comfort food side dish than the ultimate childhood comfort food? Add a garden salad or some Oven Roasted Broccoli and dinner is done!
One Pan Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, divided
- 12 ounces egg noodles or spaghetti/linguine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh minced parsley
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, bring water, broth and half of the butter to a boil. Add noodles and stir frequently with tongs or a wooden spoon for about 12-14 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is cooked.
- The remaining liquid will be thick to create the sauce. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, turn off the heat, and stir to coat.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with fresh minced parsley.
Notes
Garlic buttered noodles: Add 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, to the boiling water and cook with the pasta. For a lower calorie dish, reduce the butter by half. To double the recipe: double the amount of noodles and butter, but only add about 50% more liquid. You can double that too, but you might be ladeling some out once the noodles are cooked.
This was the perfect gentle recipe as written for the tummies recovering from the flu in our home. Once everyone was better, they asked for it again. The second time I added peas, seasoned ground turkey, and a lot of grated parmesan to make it a complete meal and it was really good. Thanks for a quick and easy recipe!
You are so welcome Jen! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
This recipe is great! I usually add sauteed carrots, onion, celery and garlic, dried thyme and parley right into the cooking broth (sometimes bone broth!)
Love the feedback Christina! Thanks for stopping by.
Delicious!
Thank you Felicia!