Make Buttered Noodles Like an Italian Trattoria Chef

Pasta, butter, and cheese, natural partners in almost any dish, come together for this simple and satisfying five-ingredient dinner. Not-quite al dente noodles finish cooking in a sauce made with chicken stock and pasta water mounted with butter for a silky texture. Then, just off the heat, the dish sauce is enriched with young Parmesan to bring in salty, nutty notes.  

What is young Parmesan?

Parmesan, a hard cheese, can be aged anywhere from 12 to 36 months, and even longer. As it ages, it changes in texture and flavor. In its earliest stages, Parmesan offers sweet, milky, and slightly nutty notes and has retained more of its moisture for a smooth, somewhat creamy texture. As a result, young parmesan will melt more easily than Parmesan aged beyond 12 to 18 months. 

What other types of pasta can I use for this recipe?

This recipe calls for tagliatelle, a long, flat, ribbonlike noodle, but you can also make it with pappardelle or fettuccine and achieve similar results. Both are also flat, long pasta shapes that will twirl nicely on the fork. You can also go for spaghetti with pleasing results. Make sure to boil the pasta only until it is about two minutes from becoming al dente, as it finishes cooking in the cheesy butter sauce.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Parmesan cheese has a high melting point due to its low moisture content and can seize and clump together when cooked over high heat. For extra assurance that your sauce will be silky-smooth, very finely grate the Parmesan and avoid using pre-grated cheese (it often contains additives that affect melting). When it is time to stir in the cheese, pull the skillet from the heat source, and let it sit for a minute or two before stirring in the cheese.

Avoid over-salting the pasta cooking water since it is used to make the sauce. As the butter sauce cooks and reduces to thicken, the salt taste will intensify. Aim to use about 3 tablespoons salt for every 4 quarts of pasta cooking water.

Suggested pairing

Pair this dish with a minerally, succulent, Southern Italian white, such as Terredora di Paolo Fiano di Avellino.

This recipe was developed by Elizabeth Mervosh; the text was written by Cheryl Slocum.