12 Best Ways To Upgrade Simple Buttered Noodles

On days when you have plenty of time to spend in the kitchen, it can be fun to take on some project cooking, meticulously measuring out a long list of ingredients, practicing complex cooking techniques, and patiently waiting by the oven for your masterpiece to be complete. But for most of us, that's just not something we can do every day of the week. A lot of the time, we have to resort to simple, easy meals — and often, those are the dishes that deliver the most comfort. And there's perhaps no simpler, easier meal than a humble bowl of buttered noodles. Carbs and fat married together in perfect harmony, buttered noodles are there for you when you have barely anything in the house to eat, when you're feeling sick and aren't up to cooking, or when you just need a hug in food form.

This classic combo stands all on its own, and it doesn't need anything else to shine. But if you do want to doctor up a basic bowl of buttered noodles, it's incredibly easy to do so. Since you're pretty much working with a blank slate, there are tons of additions you can make to this staple meal to up the flavor ante just enough to feel like you're really eating something gourmet. Check out these quick and easy ideas to take your buttered noodles to the next level, and you'll find that making this classic, simple dish is tastier than ever.

One thing we don't like about basic buttered noodles is the fact that the dish is missing a pop of color that could make it look more inviting. It's also missing an element of freshness that creates a contrast with the richness of the butter. Luckily, there's one ingredient that will fulfill both of these buttered noodle needs: parsley. Parsley has a light, fresh flavor that creates depth and contrast in the dish, and that little pop of green makes for a more appealing meal. You can use dried parsley, of course, but fresh parsley will deliver more of that signature freshness, so it's preferable if you can get your hands on it.

Although we prefer parsley in our buttered noodles, you can try using different herbs in place of parsley if you don't have any on hand. Dill can be a nice addition to your bowl of buttered noodles, and basil can add a lovely floral quality to the dish. Try some sage for an earthy touch, or opt for chives for a punch of onion-y flavor. And if you're feeling really wild, use multiple herbs in the same dish for a light, bright, and deeply flavorful pasta. Our favorite creamy garlic butter noodles recipe calls for parsley along with a handful of other ingredients for a quick weeknight meal.

Have you ever made buttered noodles and just felt like something was missing? Since you're only working with two ingredients (or perhaps a couple more, if you're using spices), there's really not much going on in this simple dish in its most basic form. If you're only going to add one additional ingredient to the mix, then, you want to make sure it's going to pack as much flavor as possible. That's why we love making buttered noodles way better by stirring in some miso paste. This versatile ingredient can be used to give your noodles a touch of umami flavor that complements the butter well and adds a rich, salty quality to the finished dish.

The best way to add miso paste to your buttered noodles is to dissolve it in water before stirring it into the noodles. This way, you won't end up with super salty clumps of the paste. Your best bet is to reserve some pasta water, which contains starch that will combine with the thick miso paste to create a lovely, creamy sauce. Once you've created that sauce, simply stir in your cooked noodles, and you're in for a serious treat.

If you ask us, adding cheese to just about any dish makes it taste better, so why wouldn't it work with buttered noodles? There are tons of different types of cheese you could choose from, but if you want more of an elevated buttered noodle situation and less of a cheap mac and cheese dupe, you should consider using Parmesan. Parmesan, like miso paste, has a salty, umami quality to it that adds complexity to plain buttered noodles, and we love the depth it provides. Plus, as a hard cheese, it doesn't get quite as melted as other varieties, which is probably not what you want in a buttered noodle dish.

For the best results, use freshly grated Parmesan. Alternatively, you can use the pre-shredded stuff, although its texture can result in stringy clumps that don't distribute evenly throughout the pasta dish. If you don't have a block of fresh Parmesan on hand, we recommend using the grated Parmesan you can find in the green shaker bottle, since its texture better sticks to and coats the noodles.

You may think of fish sauce as an ingredient you can only use in Asian dishes, but it's so versatile that it can be incorporated into just about any type of dish. It especially shines as a secret ingredient in umami-packed buttered noodles because the blandness of the main ingredients really allows its nuanced flavors to come to the forefront. Fish sauce is known for its complex flavor and subtle fishiness (since it's made from fermented fish), and it has a thin, runny texture that makes it easy to incorporate into dishes.

One thing to keep in mind when you're using fish sauce, especially when you're stirring it into a dish as simple as buttered noodles, is that a little goes a long way. You really only need a tiny drizzle of it (like a teaspoon or two) for it to transform your basic buttered noodles into something seriously special. Your best bet is to combine it with the melted butter, then toss in your cooked noodles, stirring to incorporate all the ingredients. Once you try your buttered noodles with fish sauce, you may never want to go back to the plain version again.

We love a totally carb-based dish, but let's be honest: It's not that filling, and it'll likely leave you hungry about an hour after you eat it. That's fine if you're just looking for a quick snack and some energy, but if you're making your buttered noodles into a meal, then you may want to bulk up the dish with a protein addition to make it heartier and to keep you fuller for longer. But don't worry — this doesn't have to include a bunch of extra cooking if you don't want it to. There are a variety of quick and easy protein sources you can add to your buttered noodles to make it a more complete meal.

One especially simple option is to throw in some frozen shelled edamame. This vegetarian option still keeps things nice and light, adds some green into your dish, and packs a good amount of protein to keep you feeling your best. You can also use something as simple as a can of tuna or chicken you have stocked in your pantry. If you're feeling a bit more ambitious, boil some frozen shrimp alongside the noodles for a delicious seafood pasta, or use a bit of that leftover rotisserie chicken you have sitting in your fridge to create the simplest chicken pasta you've ever made. Canned beans, crumbled tofu, and even bacon bits can also be interesting additions that add both flavor and substance to your buttered noodles.

Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients you could have in your kitchen, and they can be added to a wide range of dishes to make them thicker, richer, and simply more delicious. So why would buttered noodles be an exception? Like buttered noodles, it takes basically no time (nor cooking skills) to whip up a fried egg, which makes it the perfect addition to your buttered noodle bowl when you don't have the time or energy to make something more time-consuming or complicated. You can make and enjoy this dish at any time of the day, of course, but it's an especially tasty treat when you enjoy it as a hearty pasta breakfast.

Combining these two dishes is really as simple as it sounds: Just make your buttered noodles as you normally would, and fry an egg on the side. For the best results, make sure you've fried your egg well enough that it has crispy edges but not so much that the yolk is no longer runny — when that liquid yolk breaks, it'll make a luscious sauce for your pasta. Once you've plated your noodles, slide the fried egg on top, top with some cracked black pepper or crushed red chili pepper, and dig in.

Buttered noodles are simple, sure, but they can also be kind of bland. When you're making this dish because your stomach is upset and you need something easy to digest, then that blandness is probably just what you're looking for. But when you want a bit more flavor, then the neutral taste of plain pasta and butter can get boring quickly. That's why you should consider stirring in a super concentrated, deeply flavorful ingredient like a dollop of Korean gochujang, the red chili paste that adds both heat and a subtle sweetness to anything it touches.

Because gochujang packs so much flavor, it's really all you need to seriously upgrade your buttered noodle routine. Just keep in mind that it's a paste, so you'll want to add it to the melted butter and stir well to incorporate the two ingredients before adding the pasta. Doing so prevents you from getting any especially spicy globs of the chili paste as you dig into your pasta. Combine your gochujang buttered noodles with other Asian ingredients like sesame oil or rice wine vinegar, or just keep things simple and allow the bold ingredient to shine all on its own. Either way, you're in for a super flavorful noodle experience.

There are so, so many spice mixtures you can choose from when you want to give your buttered noodles an extra kick of flavor, but one of our absolute favorites — and a time-tested classic — is za'atar. This spice blend can be made in a variety of different ways, and it originated in Palestine before it spread across the Middle East. However, you don't have to use it in a Middle Eastern-inspired dish; it can easily be used to take your buttered noodles from boring to brilliant. Generally, you'll find that it contains ingredients like sumac berries, sesame seeds, salt, and a variety of dried herbs, but there are countless different variations of the blend, so try out a few different varieties if you want to find the one you like best.

Because this spice blend is so potent, it works especially well with buttered noodles. Since the dish packs very little flavor on its own, za'atar can seriously upgrade it all on its own, without the need to incorporate a long list of other ingredients. Once you've combined your melted butter and noodles, simply sprinkle some za'atar on top and marvel at the culinary masterpiece you've created.

You'll never know how beautiful pasta can be until you use saffron, such as in a creamy saffron butter pasta dish. This spice, which comes from a flower, is quite difficult and time-intensive to harvest, which is why you may have noticed that it can be quite pricey when you buy it at the store. Therefore, this isn't necessarily an ingredient you'd want to use if you're trying to make a budget buttered noodle dish, but it is one to splurge on if you want to dig into a deliciously fragrant, beautifully vibrant golden bowl of pasta. Unfortunately, it's not that interchangeable with other ingredients, so you'll want to spring for the good stuff if you're interested in trying this combo out for yourself.

To incorporate saffron into your buttered noodle dish, you'll first want to crush the saffron with a mortar and pestle, then soak it in warm water for about 10 minutes. Then, you can stir it into the melted butter before combining the sauce with your cooked noodles. Top it with any additional ingredients of your choosing, and dig in. Get a taste of this dish, and you might just understand why saffron can be so expensive.

If you love fresh, herby flavors, then pesto is probably one of your all-time favorite sauces. It's rich and light at the same time, and it provides any dish it touches with a ton of flavor. That's why it's such a great way to elevate simple buttered noodles; the dish really doesn't require anything else to shine. We love keeping jarred pesto on hand for those times when we want to add a dash of flavor and moisture to a dish, and stirring it into your buttered noodles is such an easy way to incorporate the ingredient into a meal. Just take a dollop of it, plop it into the melted butter, then add your noodles and stir.

Of course, if you have some extra time on your hands, you might want to go all out and make your own homemade bright and fresh pesto. It tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff, and it's relatively simple to make if you have a food processor on hand. Although most pesto recipes will call for basil, you can use any type of herbs you have in your kitchen to make an oily, nutty addition to your buttered noodle dish.

Now, we come to one of the simplest upgrades of them all. You may assume that you can use just any type of butter to make your buttered noodles, and you're not wrong. But since you're not working with very many ingredients at all, the quality of those ingredients really matter. After all, without any extra additions, there's really nothing there to cover up low-quality ingredients. Of course, you'll want to snag some high-quality butter if you can get your hands on it, but what else should you look for when you're stocking up on butter at the grocery store? If you want to make sure your buttered noodles taste as good as possible, use salted butter instead of unsalted.

Plain pasta and butter can be quite bland, but the extra salt in salted butter can add a ton of subtle flavor to the dish. When that butter soaks into the pasta, it'll infuse each noodle with more salt, which makes for a more flavorful bite than buttered noodles that have simply been topped with salt.

When you're in a pinch, a bit of butter is all you need to make a creamier bowl of pasta. But if you're serious about your buttered noodles and want them to taste as good as possible, you might want to put a bit of extra effort into the sauce. One easy way to do that is to thicken the sauce slightly. That way, the butter won't just drip off of the pasta. Rather, it'll stick to the noodles better, creating a richer and creamier buttered noodle experience.

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken your butter sauce. Start by melting the butter in a pan as you normally would, then slowly adding the thickener of your choice. Make sure the heat is turned down low enough that it won't burn the flour or cornstarch, and whisk as you go to ensure you don't end up with a clumpy sauce. Stir in any other ingredients you want to incorporate, and you have a luscious butter sauce that's a definite step up from plain butter.