Buttered noodles are a simple weeknight pasta made with egg noodles, real butter, reserved pasta water, and garlic.

Ready in under 20 minutes. The butter emulsifies with the starchy cooking water into a glossy sauce that clings to every noodle.

This is the recipe for nights when you have nothing planned. It works for picky kids who won’t touch tomato sauce, and it works as a quick side dish next to something heartier.

I like pairing it with Crockpot Tuscan Chicken for a bigger meal, or serving it alongside Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole when there are more people at the table.

These easy noodle and pasta recipes are worth saving too:

• Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Peas
• Easy Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
• Crockpot Tuscan Chicken That Tastes Like Restaurant Dinner
• Macaroni Tuna Casserole Bake

Ingredients You’ll Need

Egg noodles are the classic pick here, but wide pasta shapes like fettuccine or linguine work just as well.

The one thing you shouldn’t skip is reserving some pasta water before draining. It’s what makes the butter sauce silky and cohesive instead of just greasy.

Important Recipe Notes

• Don’t skip the pasta water: This is the single most important step in the whole recipe. The starch that dissolves into the cooking water is what binds the butter to the noodles instead of letting it slide off. Scoop it out before you drain, every single time. If you forget and drain without reserving any, a small splash of plain water helps in a pinch but it won’t have the same starch content.
• Garlic is easy to leave out: Classic buttered noodles skip the garlic entirely and still taste good. Leave it out if you’re making this for kids or anyone who won’t love the flavor. If you use it, fresh minced garlic gives a cleaner result than garlic powder, though garlic powder works fine if that’s what you have.
• Watch the butter temperature: For the silkiest sauce, keep the heat at medium-low and don’t let the butter brown. Take the pan off the heat briefly if it starts to sizzle aggressively. If you want a nuttier, more complex flavor, browned butter is actually excellent here. Just watch it carefully and pull it off the heat as soon as it turns golden and smells nutty.
• Egg noodles cook faster than you expect: Check them a full minute before the package directions say and pull them when they still have a little bite. They will soften more from the residual heat and from sitting in the butter sauce. Once they’re mushy, there’s nothing you can do, so err on the side of undercooking.
• Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a tablespoon of water or broth, tossing until they loosen up. Microwaving works but the noodles get sticky and tend to clump.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving: Buttered noodles work as a standalone dinner with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables on the side. They also pair well as a side dish next to grilled chicken, meatballs, or any roasted protein. Serve them immediately out of the pot since they clump as they cool and reheating doesn’t fully restore the original texture.

Storing: Leftovers keep well in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you reheat, add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth to the pan and warm over low heat, tossing until the noodles loosen and heat through. The flavor holds fine, though the texture softens a bit compared to fresh.

Customizing: Any wide or medium pasta shape works here, including fettuccine, linguine, pappardelle, or penne. For a richer version, stir a tablespoon of cream cheese into the butter before adding the noodles. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds warmth without changing the overall character, and a small squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens the whole dish noticeably.