Butter Noodles (aka Pasta with Butter)
Butter noodles is the ultimate comfort food to me. Everyone has their own definition and favorite dish when it comes to comfort food. Let me turn you onto mine.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve absolutely ADORED butter noodles (spaghetti with butter).
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My mother didn’t let us (my brothers and me) have pasta with butter very often as it’s not the most nutritious and healthful meal for a growing child. So when she did indulge us, it was even more special. Scroll to the bottom for some advice for parents of picky eaters from me (I used to teach parenting classes as a children’s social worker.)
When we weren’t feeling well, or weren’t up to eating “normal” food, we were given buttered noodles. It was always such an exciting feeling knowing this dish was on the horizon! I’m sure this is why it still feels like comfort food to me.
Another favorite pasta dish that children love: pasta and beans.
Butter noodles, as they’re mostly known in the US, are even on restaurant menus. Even now, as an adult, I love spaghetti with butter probably just as much as I did when I was a child. So every once in a while, I still indulge myself. Good quality pasta and good quality butter, and I’m a very happy girl, er, woman.
Have you ever tried buttered noodles? You can add a sprinkle of real Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, too!
You’ll find a printable buttered noodles recipe below (even though you probably won’t need it) along with a few blogger friends’ favorite comfort food recipes!
Butter Noodles (aka Pasta with Butter)
makes enough for 2 servings
(please use quality ingredients, as there are only two of them, 3 with salt)
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add a good amount of salt. Taste the water, it should taste salty, almost like sea/ocean water. Then add the noodles.
Cook until al dente, not too hard, though (if you use a good quality pasta it won’t get mushy).
Use a pasta fork and remove the noodles from the water and place directly into two plates.
Top with butter and mix until well-coated and enjoy your hot buttered noodles! I do recommend using spaghetti.
Buon appetito!
Butter Noodles (aka Pasta with Butter)
Special Equipment
- 1 pasta fork
Ingredients
- 6 oz spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp butter enough to coat the pasta
- ⅛ tsp sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add a good amount of salt. Taste the water, it should taste salty, almost like sea/ocean water. Then add spaghetti.
- Cook until al dente, not too hard, though (if you use a good quality pasta it won't get mushy).
- Use a pasta fork and remove the pasta from the water and place directly into two plates. Top with butter and mix until well-coated.
Notes
- Lots of people like to add grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese to this dish. Just be sure to use the real deal.
- For a more Italian and vegan option, use extra virgin olive oil in place of the butter
Nutrition
ADVICE ON PICKY EATING FROM AN EX-CHILDREN’S SOCIAL WORKER
While my mother indulged us once in a while with butter noodles, nowadays, I see many adults indulge their children on a daily basis. They are allowed to eat whatever they want, which could be sugary cereal and hot dogs, each and every day. I just can’t imagine how these children’s little bodies will suffer, now, and in the future. I often hear, “Tommy doesn’t like this, or Suzy won’t eat that” and they make these announcements in front of their children!
As an ex-children’s social worker, let me give you some unsolicited advice: please don’t do this. Never let your children hear you tell someone else what they won’t eat, don’t like, or can’t stand. All you are doing is reinforcing this in your children. Instead, let them overhear your positive attributes about them! “Johnny loves apples and bananas” and “I just love seeing him eat fruit!” Don’t discuss the fact that he doesn’t want to eat any other fruit, and I will make a prediction that your child’s preferences for foods will change.
I asked some foodie friends for their favorite comfort foods, so here they are along with a bit on their ethnic background and where they live.
Jill from Mad About Macarons – A Frenchie-Scot living in Paris BUTTERNUT WALNUT GRATIN
Cynthia from What a Girl Eats – American w/Scottish roots
CHEESY POTATO CRUSTED CHICKEN POT PIES
Cathy from She Paused for Thought – American – GRANDMA CLARK’S DANISH PUFF
What’s YOUR favorite comfort food? Who shares butter noodles with me? Share below in the comments…
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As a child the only way I would eat spaghetti is with butter. I completely forgot about it until I read your post.
Pure comfort for sure.
Thanks for including my Grandma’s Danish Puff recipe. All of the other recipes look amazing as well.
It looks so good, Cathy! I would love to bake this soon when the weather cools off!
Can it be true? There are other Italian-Americans who cherish this simple and delicious pasta as much as my family does? I had no idea! But you’re right, Christina, this is such a comfort food that can easily be prepared in a snap of time. Actually, my family eats more “white” pasta (with butter as in your post) than we do “red” pasta (in Bolognese or marinara)….that tells you how much my family loves this. My husband on the other hand won’t even touch this over our Bolognese. Everyone is happy though, because we always serve pasta both ways!
Ciao,
Roz xoxo
Haha! That’s funny! Yes, it’s true! :)
My mother made this for me when I was little too (and if she made more than I could eat at that meal, she heated it up the next day with a bit of milk). I have to tell you, if I have a cold or the flu, it is the food I want the most and so then I ask my husband to make it for me. Such a lovely, simple comfort food!! Wonderful!
Same for me! Thanks, Betty!
All of these look so good, but now I’m really wanting the spaghetti and butter. Please! So comforting! :-) ~Valentina
Christina,
You hit a soft spot with my girls on the spaghetti and butter as they would have that often with their friends growing up here outside Paris! Well, pasta shapes in butter rather than spaghetti. Thank you so much for sharing my pumpkin gratin. Now that the weather has suddenly changed here, your comfort food post is brilliant timing!
It’s definitely a favorite for children!