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Amish Buttered Egg Noodles
Created by
The humblest side dish in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, where wide egg noodles and good butter need nothing more than salt and a warm bowl to become the thing everyone remembers from the church supper.
Side Dishes
American
Comfort Food
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
5 min
Active Time
15 min cook•20 min total
Yield6 servings
There is a kind of cooking that refuses to apologize for simplicity. The Amish and Mennonite communities of Pennsylvania Dutch country have practiced it for generations. Buttered egg noodles represent their philosophy distilled to its essence: good ingredients, honest technique, nothing to hide behind.
I have eaten these noodles at farmhouse tables where the butter came from the family's own cows and the eggs from hens scratching in the yard. The dish arrived in a plain crockery bowl, steam rising, no garnish beyond a crack of black pepper. It needed nothing else. The noodles were tender and giving. The butter coated each strand without pooling. The salt was just enough to make your mouth water for the next bite.
This is potluck food. Church supper food. The side dish that travels in a foil-covered casserole to every funeral, every barn raising, every community gathering where people need feeding. It sits beside the roast chicken and the green beans, asking nothing, demanding nothing, and somehow disappearing first.
Don't mistake simplicity for thoughtlessness. The technique matters. Cook your noodles in properly salted water. Toss the butter in stages so it emulsifies into a light coating. Serve it hot, in a warmed bowl, the moment it comes together. These small acts of attention transform three ingredients into something worthy of the tradition.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
wide egg noodles
Quantity
1 pound
unsalted butter
Quantity
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick)
cut into pieces
kosher salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more for pasta water
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly cracked
fresh parsley (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| wide egg noodles | 1 pound |
| unsalted buttercut into pieces | 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more for pasta water |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | 1/2 teaspoon |
| fresh parsley (optional)chopped | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •Large pot (6-quart minimum)
- •Colander
- •Wooden spoons or large serving fork
- •Warmed serving bowl
Instructions
- 1
Boil salted water
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously until it tastes like mild seawater. The Amish women who perfected this dish understood something essential: pasta absorbs seasoning from cooking water. Undersalt here and no amount of finishing salt will rescue your noodles.
Use about two tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water. It sounds like a lot. It isn't. - 2
Cook noodles until tender
Add the egg noodles to the boiling water, stirring immediately to prevent sticking. Cook according to package directions, usually eight to ten minutes, until the noodles are tender with just a whisper of resistance. These aren't Italian noodles meant for al dente. Amish egg noodles should yield completely to the tooth, soft and comforting.
- 3
Reserve pasta water
Before draining, ladle out one cup of the starchy cooking water and set it aside. This cloudy liquid is your insurance policy. The starch helps butter cling to noodles and can rescue a dish that's gone too dry.
- 4
Drain and return to pot
Drain the noodles in a colander, shaking once or twice but not obsessively. A little moisture clinging to the surface helps the butter emulsify into a light sauce rather than pooling as grease. Return the noodles immediately to the warm pot, off heat.
- 5
Add butter in stages
Add the butter pieces to the hot noodles. Toss gently with two wooden spoons or a large fork, letting the residual heat melt the butter gradually. Work in stages. Add a third of the butter, toss until absorbed, then repeat. This builds a glossy coating rather than a greasy puddle.
If the butter seems to separate or pool, splash in two tablespoons of reserved pasta water and toss vigorously. The starch will bring everything back together. - 6
Season and serve
Sprinkle with the teaspoon of salt and the cracked black pepper. Toss once more to distribute. Taste a noodle. Adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and scatter with parsley if using. Serve immediately while the butter still glistens and the noodles steam gently on the plate.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out extra-wide egg noodles for this dish. The broader surface catches more butter, and the texture feels more substantial, more homemade. Some grocers stock Amish-made noodles in the specialty section. They're worth finding.
- •Room temperature butter melts more evenly than cold. Pull your butter from the refrigerator thirty minutes before cooking if you remember. If you forget, cut it into smaller pieces to compensate.
- •For potlucks and church suppers, toss the finished noodles with an extra tablespoon of butter just before leaving. They'll absorb some as they travel. A splash of reserved pasta water in the serving bowl helps refresh them if they've sat too long.
- •This dish pairs naturally with braised meats, roast chicken, pot roast, or anything with pan juices. Serve the noodles in a shallow bowl and let the meat's sauce mingle with the butter. The combination is greater than its parts.
Advance Preparation
- •Buttered noodles are best served immediately but can be made up to one hour ahead for gatherings. Toss with extra butter, cover tightly with foil, and keep in a 200°F oven. Add a splash of pasta water and retoss before serving.
- •For potluck transport, undercook noodles by one minute and toss with butter in an oven-safe dish. Cover with foil. The residual heat will finish cooking them during the drive. Refresh with a little hot water if needed upon arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 240g)
Calories
425 calories
Total Fat
16 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
5 g
Cholesterol
42 mg
Sodium
485 mg
Total Carbohydrates
54 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
14 g
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