Description
I like to think of this browned butter pasta recipe as Buttered Noodles 2.0. If you grew up eating bowls of buttered noodles, this cozy dish will scratch a nostalgic itch!
In true PWWB fashion, we’re kicking things up a notch here for a slightly more grown up version that’s just as comforting as the childhood classic, but perhaps even more delicious:
- Brown butter: Rather than simply tossing melted butter into pasta, we start by browning the butter first to develop a more complex, nutty taste. If you’ve never browned butter before, there’s no need to be intimidated. Be sure to reference the blog post, above, for lots more tips, tricks, & info to get you started.
- Aromatics: The brown butter pasta sauce is infused with generous amounts of aromatics – garlic, fresh herbs like sage & thyme, & a little lemon to balance out the richness.
- Pan-roasted mushrooms: These crispy delights are a totally optional add-in, but I can’t recommend them enough. They’re roasted over high heat until they’re tender & gloriously browned. I swear, even if you don’t like mushrooms, you’ll love these, but if you want a couple other add-in ideas, refer to the blog post above.
Your inner child will LOVE this take on buttered noodles, I can’t wait for you to try! ♡
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces fusilli col buco or long pasta of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 8 tablespoons), diced into ¼ tablespoon cubes
- 2 lemons, juiced (approx. 2 tablespoons juice)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (thyme, sage, oregano, etc.)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: crispy pan-roasted mushrooms (below), grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
for the crispy pan-roasted mushrooms:
- 16 ounces maitake mushrooms or mushrooms of choice, trimmed & torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Prep to time it all out: Once you begin cooking, this brown butter pasta recipe comes together pretty quickly with a couple of very time-critical steps. Read the recipe in full to get a sense of its flow, then prep by getting the chopping, measuring & other prep odds & ends out of the way so cooking is a smooth process: bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, juice the lemons, grate/chop the garlic, chop the fresh herbs, measure the cheese, etc. Place everything within an arm’s reach from the stovetop.
- Cook the crispy pan-roasted mushrooms: Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. If available, a skillet with a lighter colored cooking surface is preferred. Once hot & shimmering, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat then cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & golden, about 12-15 minutes. At about the 10 minute mark, season the mushrooms with about 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Transfer the browned mushrooms to a plate. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice & a good sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Set aside for serving.
- Boil the pasta: With about 5 minutes of cooking time left on the mushrooms, drop the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water & cook, stirring occasionally, to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Drain the pasta but do NOT rinse it! (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
- Prepare the brown butter sauce: No more than 2 minutes before the pasta is ready to drain, begin preparing the brown butter sauce. Carefully wipe out the skillet used to cook the mushrooms & return to medium heat. Add the butter. Once it’s completely melted, it will look foamy & it will begin to sizzle & pop. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. After 2-3 minutes, the sizzling & popping will slow down as the butter browns. Reduce heat to medium-low as soon as the butter is amber in color & smells nutty. Quickly & carefully add in the lemon juice, garlic, & fresh herbs. The mixture will bubble up immediately. Cook, stirring often, 1 minute longer, until the brown butter sauce is very fragrant.
- Toss the brown butter pasta: Working quickly, add the drained pasta to the skillet with the brown butter sauce. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water & sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the pasta. Toss to combine well, the brown butter sauce should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the brown butter sauce needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, allowing the pasta to meld with the brown butter sauce. Remove from the heat.
- Serving: Just before serving, toss the crispy pan-roasted mushrooms into the pasta. Portion the brown butter mushroom pasta into individual bowls, topping with with additional grated parmesan & chopped fresh herbs as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Best pasta for brown butter pasta: Lighter sauces, like brown butter pasta sauce, are traditionally paired with lighter pastas. While I wouldn’t go as light as capellini (angel hair) for this recipe, linguine, spaghetti, & spaghetti alla chitarra (flat spaghetti) are all fantastic options. I typically opt for long, hollow pasta as it adds the best bouncy texture to an otherwise simple dish – try bucatini (tubular spaghetti) or look for fusilli col buco (a long, hollow spiral-shaped pasta, pictured) for an extra-special treat. If you prefer to use short pasta, try fusilli or cavatappi as their spiral shapes will both capture the brown butter sauce deliciously.
- Recommended mushrooms: Since the rest of the dish is relatively simple, I like to splurge for really beautiful wild mushrooms for the crispy pan-roasted wild mushrooms – maitake (pictured), oyster, chanterelle, & shiitake are all great. If you prefer a more cost-effective option, simple white button mushrooms or cremini (baby bella) mushrooms work great. Use what you love most or what’s most readily available to you!
- Vegetarian &/or vegan brown butter pasta: This brown butter pasta recipe is naturally meatless. For a vegetarian version, be sure to use your favorite rennet-free parmesan. To take it a step further & make it vegan, opt for your favorite non-dairy parmesan & use your favorite high-quality vegan butter. Learn more about vegan browned butter.
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover brown butter pasta with mushrooms will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding an extra splash of water or cooking stock to loosen up the brown butter sauce as needed, until warmed through.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this brown butter mushroom recipe comes from prepping the mushrooms. To get this prep work out of the way for dinnertime, simply clean, trim & prep the mushrooms as indicated in the Ingredients List, above. Place them in a paper towel-lined bowl & store in the main compartment of your refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)