Pasta with butter is an inexpensive, delicious and easy to prepare dish. First you have to let the tagliolini boil in salted water until they become soft and flexible, then drain and season the butter while they are still hot to make it melt completely. When cooked, you can add more salt and pepper to taste. If you want to further delight your palate, you can add a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley or perhaps some garlic powder. Pasta with butter can be eaten alone or, as the Anglo-Saxons like to do, it can be combined with a meat dish such as meatballs or chicken.
Ingrediants
Makes 4 medium servings
- 250 g of egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of salt (for salting the cooking water)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Cook the Tagliolini
Step 1. Boil water in a saucepan
Fill a tall saucepan with water (this will take about two liters), then place it on the stove and heat it over medium-high heat. Wait for the water to boil briskly.
If you want to further flavor the noodles, you can use chicken broth instead of water
Step 2. Put the salt in the water
Pour it into boiling water, then stir it with a long spoon. Keep stirring until the salt has dissolved completely.
If you prefer to use chicken broth, you will most likely not need to add salt as it is already tasty
Step 3. Dip the noodles in the boiling water
You can easily find egg noodles in any well-stocked supermarket. Egg pasta is different from that of durum wheat semolina, since it is prepared with soft wheat and also contains eggs, which are not present in normal pasta.
If you prefer, you can use a different variety of egg pasta or even any type of semolina pasta. However, remember that the final flavor will also be different
Step 4. Let the noodles cook until they become soft
They need to boil in the water for about 6-8 minutes or until they are soft and pliable. If you want to check how well it is cooking, take one out of the water with kitchen tongs and let it cool for a few moments on a plate before tasting it to see if it is cooked.
Be careful not to overcook the pasta, especially the egg one would become soggy and tasteless
Step 5. Drain the tagliolini
Prepare the colander in the sink and as soon as the pasta is cooked to perfection remove the pot from the stove and pour the entire contents into the colander. The cooking water will go directly to the sink drain.
Immediately after having drained them, put the noodles on the plates
Part 2 of 3: Add the Butter and other Seasonings
Step 1. Add the butter to the hot noodles
Break two tablespoons of butter into small pieces, then immediately add it to the dough. Stir the noodles with a large spoon or kitchen tongs until the butter has melted completely.
Don't wait too long before adding the butter. If the dough gets cold, it won't be able to melt
Step 2. Add salt and pepper to taste
Once the butter has melted, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the plate of tagliolini. Use the spoon or tongs again to mix the pasta and distribute the toppings. Taste to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.
Add the salt and pepper a little at a time, as you will always have the option to add more but not to remove the one already added
Step 3. Unleash your culinary creativity
Butter pasta is delicious as it is, but some people prefer to add some additional seasoning to flavor the dish even more. For example you could:
- Sprinkle the pasta with garlic powder;
- Decorate the dish with a spoonful of chopped fresh parsley;
- Scrape some Parmesan cheese over the tagliolini to make them even more appetizing and tasty.
Part 3 of 3: Serve the Butter Pasta
Step 1. Serve the tagliolini with butter as a first course
Even though it is a very simple recipe, the result is tasty and satisfying. Furthermore, the ingredients are inexpensive and can be found easily in most supermarkets. Many people love buttered pasta, with or without additional toppings.
Step 2. Serve the noodles with the meatballs and a meat sauce
The delicate flavor of buttered pasta goes wonderfully with that of meatballs and a meat sauce (the famous gravy). Put the tagliolini on the plate and then lay some succulent meatballs on top before completing the dish with a little sauce.
- You can prepare the meatballs from scratch or buy them ready-made in the frozen section of the supermarket;
- You can also prepare the meat sauce at home using the cooking juices of the meatballs or a ready-made seasoning for meat (in this case, follow the instructions on the package).
Step 3. Serve the noodles with butter with the chicken
Maybe you didn't know that any chicken breast preparation goes beautifully with buttered pasta. You can use it sliced, frayed or even whole. If you prefer, you can add a sauce as well. Here are some ideas to take inspiration from:
- Grill the chicken breast, cut it into cubes and then mix it with the noodles with butter to obtain a nutritionally more complete dish;
- Bread the chicken breast with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, fry it and then cut it into pieces and serve it over the pasta;
- Prepare chicken escalopes with butter and lemon juice, then cut it into small pieces and add them to the noodles.
