Butter Sauce for Pasta in 3 Minutes? This Butter and Cheese Pasta Changed Dinner Forever

Step-by-Step Butter Sauce for Pasta in Just 3 Minutes

Let’s dive into the recipe! Make butter pasta with an easy, delicious sauce—it takes just 3 minutes. You’ll learn how to keep your pasta al dente (not too soft!) and make it extra buttery and creamy.

To make this simple butter pasta sauce, you only need basic equipment and a few ingredients.

Equipment:

• Frying pan – Use a large frying pan. You’ll mix the pasta and sauce in the pan, so make sure everything fits.
• Pot
• Grater

Ingredients:

Pasta

Pick the pasta you love. Want to know which pasta goes best with this sauce? Check here.

Cheddar

This is what makes the pasta extra creamy! You can add another cheese if you want — just make sure it melts well. Check our guide on how to choose cheese that melts properly.

Here’s a big tip: Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese — it doesn’t melt the same way and can mess with the texture.

Chilli flakes and salt

Don’t worry — chili flakes won’t make your buttery pasta too spicy. They just add a small kick of flavor. As for the salt, taste it at the end and adjust it if necessary.

Butter

In this butter sauce recipe for pasta, use unsalted butter. Why? Because it’s easier to control the salt taste. Cheese is salty, and you also add salt on top. If you use salty butter, add salt only at the end, when the pasta is ready. The salt taste may be too strong otherwise.

You need two parts of butter. Cut off a small piece and set it aside. To make this homemade butter sauce for pasta extra buttery and smooth, add that small piece at the very end. It’s a simple trick for an extra buttery taste. The pasta cooks in the sauce and in that extra butter, so it’s important to add it undercooked. If the pasta is fully cooked, it will get too soft.

So, if you’re asking, can you put butter on cooked spaghetti? Yes, you can. But you can also add cheese and simple spices to turn it into the most delicious, elevated butter noodles. And it gets even better. The sauce takes about 3 minutes. So make sure your pasta is almost ready before you start. Prep your ingredients, and let’s make extra delicious but simple pasta butter sauce. 

Cook your pasta—and don’t forget to save the water

First, cook your pasta — but hold up! Cook it 2 minutes less than the package says. You want it undercooked so it can soak up all that buttery goodness in the sauce.

Right before you drain your pasta, scoop out some of that starchy pasta water — trust us, you’re gonna need it for the sauce. Then, drain the pasta in a pasta colander, but never rinse it!

How to make butter pasta? 

Heat a pan to medium. We’re using level 5 out of 9 on our stove. Drop in the bigger piece of butter and keep stirring the whole time. You just want it to melt — don’t fry it, and definitely don’t let it brown.

Look — the butter is melting now! Once it’s fully melted, toss in some chili flakes. Stir them around for 1 minute so they release that toasty, peppery flavor.

Now, pour in just a splash of your saved pasta water — around 50 g. Stir until it looks smooth and silky. That’s your emulsified sauce!

Add the pasta and some salt. If your sauce looks too thick, add a bit more pasta water — just a little at a time.

Sprinkle in the cheese and mix until it melts and turns creamy. Add the cheese in 3 steps — don’t add it all at once. Wait until it melts, then add more. Let the heat from the pasta melt the cheese right into the sauce. Look at that — the sauce turns silky and cheesy!

No, grab that little piece of butter you saved earlier. Toss it in and give everything one last stir. It makes this buttery sauce for pasta extra creamy and smooth.

Take it off the heat. That’s it — Italian butter noodles in 10 minutes. You’ve got rich, buttery, cheesy pasta ready to serve.

Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead

How to elevate buttered noodles? Melt butter and add your favorite spices. Add pasta water and mix it into a buttery sauce. Then, toss in the cooked pasta. Add grated cheese in steps to make the sauce extra creamy. Mix, then add more pasta water and butter on top. Stir, serve, and enjoy! These steps are simple, but they turn your pasta and butter recipe into an extra delicious dish.

Want to avoid common mistakes? Follow these tips:

• Melt butter gently — add it to a pan and stir. Don’t let the butter fry or turn brown.
• Avoid high heat, and stir the whole time while cooking these Italian buttered noodles.

• Save enough pasta water. Add it to the melted butter to create the rich sauce.
• The best moment to save pasta water is when the pasta is almost ready. Just scoop some out before you drain it.
• Undercook your pasta. You’ll finish cooking it in the sauce.
• Transfer the pasta straight to the pan. Don’t rinse it — the starch helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

Of course, cheese is the basic ingredient in this butter cheese sauce for pasta. It makes the sauce extra creamy and a bit thicker. It also keeps the cooking quick and simple. No need to use thickeners like flour or starch. An easy pasta butter sauce with no complicated cooking steps — that’s what makes it a go-to recipe.

So it’s important to choose cheese that melts well. We use cheddar, but you can use other cheese, too. Check out our guide on how to choose cheese for pasta or soup that melts well.

Also, for this butter and cheese pasta, follow these tips so your cheese won’t curdle or make the sauce grainy:

• Grate the cheese yourself at home. A block of cheese works best. Preshredded cheese doesn’t work for cheese butter pasta. It has additives that keep the cheese from sticking together. But because of them, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt well. This recipe is simple, and the only prep you need to do is grate your cheese — easy!

• When you make pasta with cheese and butter, follow this order when you add ingredients: butter, spices, a little bit of starchy pasta water, cooked pasta, and then grated cheese. Why? You need to combine butter and pasta water first before you add the cheese.
• Add cheese step by step. Wait until it melts into the buttery pasta sauce, then add more. This way, the sauce stays smooth and creamy.
• And of course, as mentioned before — stir, stir, and stir! That’s how your cheese and butter pasta and all the ingredients come together and turn smooth.

Choose the Right Pasta, Store It Right, and Reheat It Easy

Pick the best pasta for your dish. Store it the right way, so it stays fresh. Reheat it without losing texture or taste.

What pasta to choose?

Use any pasta shape you like. But keep in mind — butter sauces for pasta are usually served with pasta that is smooth, like spaghetti. Why? Because smooth pasta doesn’t hold a lot of sauce. So you won’t need a ton of it.

But pasta like fusilli or penne? They soak up sauce like crazy. You’ll need more sauce to coat everything nicely. If you use penne or rigatoni, prepare more sauce or go with a tomato-based sauce.

Of course, the most common are butter spaghetti noodles. They absorb less sauce and let the butter flavor shine. Spaghetti has a smooth, long shape that grabs just the right amount of sauce. Spaghetti with butter sauce is quick to make, but it still feels special.

In general, smooth pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or tagliatelle works best. Butter fettuccine or spaghetti is great because these pasta shapes are easy to find. You probably already have a pack of spaghetti in your pantry. And if your spaghetti butter noodles feel a little boring, you can always add simple toppings to make them special. Check out our ideas below!

Need a butter sauce for ravioli? Or a butter sauce for tortellini? Stuffed pasta has a delicious filling, so you don’t need a complicated sauce. You just need something that brings out the flavor of the filling. A simple cheese, butter, and water sauce is perfect. And yes — by water, we mean pasta water. You only need 3 minutes to make this butter sauce for pasta, and it won’t overpower the stuffed pasta!

How to store

Store pasta with butter sauce — or just the sauce — in an airtight container. Cook it fresh, let it cool completely, then transfer it to a storage container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Can you freeze butter sauce pasta? Not really. If the butter sauce has cheese in it, don’t freeze it. When you defrost it, the cheese may curdle.

But don’t forget — this easy butter sauce for pasta is ready in just 3 minutes. So it’s quicker to cook it fresh.

How to reheat

Of course, nothing beats Italian butter pasta fresh off the stove. But if you have leftovers, you can reheat them. One thing that helps is pasta water. Save more when you cook, and use it later to reheat the pasta or the sauce.

On the stove

Reheat the sauce gently so it doesn’t curdle. Use medium heat. Pour a bit of water or pasta water into a pan, then add the sauce or pasta. Stir all the time while reheating. 

Important: Don’t use high heat, and don’t stop stirring.

In the microwave

Add some water or pasta water to the pasta and butter sauce. Reheat for 1 minute. Stir a few times while it heats.

What to Do If the Sauce Is Too Thin or Too Thick

If your butter noodles sauce turns out too thick, add water or milk and stir until it blends in.

If you need more sauce, add more starchy pasta water and stir. Pour in a little at a time until the texture feels just right.

If the sauce is too thin, add a bit of cheese. Stir until it melts and the sauce turns creamy and smooth.

Adjust the Recipe to Fit Your Diet and Boost the Flavor

Change the recipe to match your diet. Add simple ingredients to bring out more flavor without extra effort.

How to change this recipe to fit your diet

Gluten-free

Looking for an easy butter pasta recipe? Need a gluten-free version? It’s a no-brainer. Just replace regular pasta with gluten-free pasta in this recipe. Choose pasta made from corn, buckwheat, rice, or chickpea flour.

To make sure your pasta in butter sauce stays al dente, follow the tips — undercook your pasta. Check the package instructions for gluten-free pasta and cook it 2 minutes less.

Read your spice labels to make sure they don’t contain hidden gluten. And don’t use pre-shredded cheese — it can contain gluten, too.

Healthy

Are butter noodles healthy?
Well, let’s put it like this — you can make them healthier. Eat half a serving and add a green leafy salad on the side. You can also add a protein-rich topping. Great vegetarian toppings are fried tofu or veggie bacon. You can also toast nuts, seeds, or chickpeas. Or add edamame.

Vegetarian

All ingredients in this butter sauce pasta recipe are vegetarian. The cheese might not be, so it’s good to check the label. If you want to be sure your cheese is vegetarian, check out our blog post — it shows you how to tell.

How to add more flavor

You can quickly add more flavor to this easy pasta sauce with butter. Here are a few ideas:

Herby

Love a fresh, herby taste? Add parsley, basil, or oregano. You can also stir in some spices while the sauce cooks. Add a pinch of dried oregano, chili flakes, or ground black pepper to the hot sauce and stir for a few seconds. That’s all it takes for a boost of flavor.

Sprinkle fresh parsley or basil on your buttered spaghetti when you serve. So aromatic!

Cheesy

There’s already some cheese in the sauce for creaminess, but you can also add your favorite cheese on top. Try a grainy one like Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Grate it or use long shavings, then sprinkle it over the pasta. Extra cheesy and delicious!

Spicy

If you love extra heat, add red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce when you serve. We already add some chilli while cooking the sauce, but it doesn’t make the sauce spicy. It just adds a light, peppery flavor. So, there’s room for more heat!

Butter Sauce Guide: Basics, Variations like Lemon, Garlic & Cream, and Best Pairings

Want to know all about butter sauce? Learn about the different types. Find out what goes well with butter noodles and what to serve on the side.

What is butter sauce for pasta?

Butter sauce for pasta is one of the easiest Italian sauces you can make. You just combine butter and starchy pasta water until they come together and turn creamy. Pasta with butter sauce can go with cheese, but it doesn’t have to. It depends on your mood. This sauce is also a great base for many Italian butter sauces like cream sauce, lemon sauce, or garlic sauce.

Why is butter a great base for pasta sauce?

Pasta with butter is always a great combo. Butter gives any pasta sauce a light and creamy texture. To get the best butter sauce for pasta, you need to emulsify the butter.

What does that mean?

Emulsified butter is a mix of butter and a liquid. This liquid can be water or starchy pasta water. You stir them together to get a smooth, creamy sauce.

How do you turn butter into an emulsion?

There are a few things to keep in mind. First, melt the butter gently. Put a piece of butter in a pan and melt it over medium heat. Don’t let it fry or brown. Add a bit of starchy pasta water and stir. Your goal is to create a butter emulsion from the melted butter and water. This way, instead of oily butter that slides off your pasta, you get a creamy, glossy emulsified butter sauce that coats your pasta perfectly.

When hot, butter brings out the flavor of other ingredients. That’s why it works so well as the base for other butter sauces for pasta. Butter makes garlic taste stronger in garlic sauce. It boosts the citrus in lemon pasta. If you add chili flakes, their flavor infuses the butter and gives your butter noodle sauce a soft pink color. Melted butter also pairs well with heavy cream. That makes it perfect for a creamy butter pasta sauce. Add a bit of starchy pasta water, and you can easily mix in grated cheese.

Classic variations of butter sauce

You turn to butter-based pasta sauce when you want something fast, comforting, and full of flavor. It’s also perfect when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen or shop for complicated ingredients.

But it gets even better.

Bored of your regular butter sauce for noodles? Turn it into another simple sauce. Here are the most popular butter pasta recipes (all already on the blog or coming soon):

Garlic butter sauce

Butter sauce for pasta is a great base for garlic butter pasta. This sauce has a rich garlic flavor, so don’t worry if the recipe calls for a lot of garlic. The key is to cook it the right way. Slice the garlic as thin as possible. Cook it in butter just until you smell it. When the garlic just starts to change color, add starchy pasta water. Mix well. Then add the cooked pasta. If you follow these steps, the garlic won’t burn or turn bitter. The butter garlic sauce will turn into a smooth emulsion. Add finely chopped parsley, and you get the best garlic butter pasta.

Lemon butter sauce

Lemon butter sauce is great if you love tangy, citrusy flavors. Butter and lemon zest work beautifully together. Add lemon juice for a fresh and light taste. The scent alone is enough to make your mouth water! Want to make the perfect lemon butter pasta? Check the recipe on the blog for all the tips.

Butter cream sauce

You can add heavy cream and make a butter cream sauce for pasta. It’s one of the easiest pasta dishes. The recipe is simple, but there are a few important tricks. This sauce curdles easily, so you need to be careful. Want an extra creamy butter sauce recipe with all the tips and tricks? Check it out on our blog.

Interested in a classic butter sauce for pasta?

Try this easy recipe with extra tips and common mistakes to avoid, so your sauce turns out smooth and creamy every time. Need exact measurements? You’ll find them in the recipe card. It’s an easy butter pasta sauce with ingredients you probably already have—and you’ll definitely love it!

What goes with butter noodles?

So, now you know how to make a good butter sauce for pasta. But what about side dishes, toppings, and main dishes? Want to know what to serve with your pasta or how to top pasta next time? Check out these ideas:

Easy topping ideas

• Toasted nuts and seeds
• Italian breadcrumbs
• Dried tomatoes
• Olives and capers
• Parmesan shavings

Side dishes and main dishes

• A fresh leafy salad with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle some Parmesan shavings on top!
• Garlic bread — use sliced bread, so you can make it in a few minutes and don’t need to bake it for a long time.
• Potato salad — creamy dressing, crunchy vegetables, and crispy potatoes go beautifully with buttery pasta noodles.
• Roti — perfect to scoop up some extra sauce.
• Cauliflower rice — light, fluffy, and perfectly spiced.
• Cheesy muffins — soft inside, crispy on top.
• Seasoned Brussels sprouts — umami taste at its best!
• Dumpling soup — easy to make with frozen dumplings.