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Home ยป Dinner

Butter Spaghetti

Published: May 4, 2022 ยท Modified: Apr 20, 2025 by Maddy ยท This post may contain affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission.

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butter parmesan pasta pin image

Buttered noodles are perfect for picky eaters and pasta lovers alike. This quick and easy Butter Spaghetti recipe is deliciously addicting yet made with only 4 ingredients- noodles, butter, parmesan cheese and pepper. Serve as-is or alongside chicken, fish, meatloaf, or veggies.

butter spaghetti with parmesan cheese in a white bowl
Jump to:
  • Butter Spaghetti Ingredients
  • How To Make It
  • What To Serve With Butter Spaghetti
  • Variations
  • How To Store
  • Recipe
  • Recipe Reviews

Whether your kids are going through picky eating phase or are just plain old pasta lovers, they will love this simple pasta recipe, and so will you! Buttery noodles are tossed with grated parmesan cheese and sprinkled with pepper (as much as is tolerable for your little ones).

Butter Spaghetti is not only quick and easy, it's simple on the palate which makes it a great meal option for kids. Enjoy it as a full meal with a side of meatball toast or serve alongside an easy main like air fried chicken nuggets or fish sticks.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS KID-FRIENDLY DINNER IDEA:

  • It only takes 15 minutes to make.
  • You can serve it as a main meal or a side dish.
  • It's easy to customize.

Butter Spaghetti Ingredients

Noodles: Long and thin pasta like spaghetti noodles, linguini, fettuccine, and angel hair are my preference. But you can use any shape pasta that you'd like.

Butter: it's fine to use unsalted or salted butter. Salt is not added to this dish, as boiling the pasta in heavily salted water and the parmesan cheese give it a salted taste. So using salted butter shouldn't make it too salty.

Parmesan cheese: grated parmesan cheese that's freshly grated or from a package is my preference, but shredded parmesan cheese works too.

Pepper: freshly ground black pepper adds a little something extra to this dish. Just a few twists of a pepper mill over each bowl of pasta are perfect or use as much pepper as you'd like. Or leave out the pepper entirely- the choice is yours.

How To Make It

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water (about 2 tablespoons), then add noodles. Stir and cook for the time indicated on the box.
  2. Drain the noodles (do not rinse) into a colander.
  3. Add butter to the hot pot, stirring until it's melted. Put the noodles back into the pot and toss with butter until evenly coated. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and stir well.
  4. Place buttered parmesan noodles into serving bowls. Top with black pepper and enjoy!
close up of buttered spaghetti

What To Serve With Butter Spaghetti

As a side dish, pair your buttered noodles with meatloaf muffins, chicken nuggets or chicken tenders, fish sticks, meatballs, hot dogs and hamburgers. As a main dish, buttered noodles compliments roasted vegetables and vegetable patties like broccoli and cheese fritters. My kids love having theirs with a refreshing strawberry banana smoothie.

Variations

If you're looking to spruce up this kid-friendly meal try adding: fresh herbs such as parsley and basil, chopped broccoli, rotisserie chicken, ground sausage, shrimp, diced hot dogs, bacon bits, red pepper flakes, freshly squeezed lemon, garlic cloves, peas, or spinach.

If you'd like a saucier dish, reserve the pasta water and add it with the butter in small amounts until achieving the consistency that you desire.

How To Store

Store leftover butter spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave.

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Recipe

buttered spaghetti image

Butter Spaghetti Recipe

Buttered noodles are perfect for picky eaters and pasta lovers alike. This quick and easy Butter Spaghetti recipe is deliciously addicting yet made with only 4 ingredients- noodles, butter, parmesan cheese and pepper. Serve as-is or alongside chicken, fish, meatloaf, or veggies.
4.89 from 63 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 86 kcal

Equipment

  • large pot
  • colander

Ingredients
  

  • 1 16-ounce package spaghetti noodles
  • 10 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water (about 2 tablespoons), then add noodles. Stir and cook for the time indicated on the box. Drain the noodles (do not rinse) into a colander.
  • Add butter to the hot pot, stirring until it's melted. Put the noodles back into the pot and toss with butter until evenly coated. Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and stir well.
  • Place buttered parmesan noodles into serving bowls and sprinkle with black pepper to taste.

Notes

Long and thin pasta like spaghetti noodles, linguini, fettuccine, and angel hair are my preference. But you can use any shape pasta that you'd like.
Store leftover butter spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 3ozCalories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 318mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 185IUCalcium: 176mgIron: 1mg
Did You Try This Recipe?Mention @myminichefs or tag #myminichefs!

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Comments

    4.89 from 63 votes (49 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Keri says

    May 05, 2022 at 5:36 am

    5 stars
    These noodles were the perfect family friendly dinner. The kids loved it. We added some frozen peas and topped with a bit of parsley.

    Reply
  2. nancy says

    May 05, 2022 at 7:49 pm

    5 stars
    super creamy and kids love it!!

    Reply
    • Amy Liu Dong says

      September 18, 2023 at 11:07 am

      Is this similar to carbonara? If yes then I bet this taste so good! I haven't tried this kind of spaghetti and I can't wait to try one.

      Reply
  3. Laura Barmettler says

    May 10, 2022 at 12:56 am

    5 stars
    I love butter spaghetti. Also, in a salad - WONDERFUL! A versatile noodle.

    Reply
  4. Sean says

    March 08, 2023 at 9:28 am

    5 stars
    This is such an easy recipe when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and spaghetti is one of my favorite noodles.

    Reply
  5. Colleen says

    March 09, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    5 stars
    This simple recipe is perfect for kids. It was gobbled up quickly so I will definately make it often.

    Reply
  6. Sharon says

    March 10, 2023 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    When I'm looking for a simple side dish, I am going to make up another batch of these buttered noodles. They were the perfect quick side.

    Reply
  7. Veronika says

    March 10, 2023 at 6:12 pm

    5 stars
    Such a simple pasta dish and even the pickiest eaters will love it! This is my new go to. I added shrimp to mine and served it with a side salad.

    Reply
  8. Jacqueline Debono says

    March 12, 2023 at 5:03 am

    5 stars
    This butter spaghetti is very similar to what was the original pasta Alfredo until people started adding cream and other ingredients. Here in Italy, this is a favourite kids recipe and made by Italian mothers everywhere. Simple and delicious!

    Reply
  9. Ann says

    March 12, 2023 at 9:05 am

    5 stars
    This is one of my go-to noodles recipes when I need a side dish. Always loved by everyone!

    Reply
  10. Jamie says

    March 12, 2023 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    Awesome! This dish looks amazingly yummy! The simplicity of this dish makes it so enticing and mesmerizing! I totally love it and will definitely make this for the family!

    Reply
  11. Amy Liu Dong says

    March 12, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    5 stars
    I have never tried to make butter pasta but this one looks so easy and delicious. I will def make this for tonight!

    Reply
  12. Hayley Dhanecha says

    March 13, 2023 at 5:06 am

    5 stars
    People came for seconds, I made for my frien'd baby shower. Simple, so easy and quick recipe with great flavours!

    Reply
  13. Ann says

    September 11, 2023 at 10:38 am

    5 stars
    This spaghetti is exactly what I was looking for! Such an easy recipe for a busy night.

    Reply
  14. Maggie says

    September 15, 2023 at 9:45 am

    I'm Mexican, and when my son was little he would come home from school and ask for this. I had ask other moms what he was asking for. lol. Now, we eat it all the time. Minus the black pepper.

    Reply
  15. Ann says

    September 17, 2023 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    This was super delicious! Probably one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti! My kids always love this!

    Reply
  16. Joyce says

    September 25, 2024 at 8:59 pm

    I've been making this, or a variation, for decades. About 35 years ago, when I was teaching my son how to cook basic things, one of his absolute favorite pasta dishes was "plain onion spaghetti, Mom, the kind with tons of butter!" We would caramelize one large Vidalia onion, then would add it along with warmed olive oil and melted butter to the cooked spaghetti. SOOOO GOOD!!!
    Even though my son is no longer alive, that is one of my favorite dishes to make for myself. It's both delicious, and a reminder of my handsome boy who used to be my favorite sous chef ๐Ÿ˜Š.

    Reply

Welcome to My Mini Chefs! Me and my two kids are here to give you lots of great cooking inspiration and recipes - food made with kids in mind! Whether you've got a picky eater or a little one who will try anything once, you'll find something delicious here.

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