Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals. See more posts by Holly
Egg Noodles: Thick and sturdy egg noodles are the pasta of choice for this recipe. You can use penne, rotini, bowties, or medium elbow pasta for this recipe in place of egg noodles.
Butter: Butter is rich, creamy, and adds flavor and texture to these noodles. We use salted butter in this recipe. If using unsalted butter, just don’t forget to add a pinch of salt.
Cheese: Parmesan is optional, but really makes the dish pop! No parm? Romano, Asiago, or even a sprinkle of mozzarella work well in its place.
Seasonings: Garlic powder, fresh parsley, and black pepper…that’s it!
How to Make Noodles with Butter
Cook pasta al dente as per package directions.
Drain, but don’t rinse the pasta (reserve some pasta water).
Melt butter and garlic powder in the same pot.
Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients.
Toss noodles and season as desired (full recipe below).
Cooking pasta to ‘al dente’ ensures it retains its texture if there are leftovers.
Reserve a little pasta water in case it’s needed to thicken the garlic butter sauce.
Butter burns quickly, so be sure the stove is on medium heat.
To help the butter stick to your noodles, don’t rinse them!
Next-Day Noodles
Store leftover buttered noodles in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4 days. Add leftovers to a savory pasta e fagioli soup, or a deliciously filling turkey casserole. Or simply reheat them on the stove or in the microwave with a little butter to loosen the noodles!
Freezing buttered noodles changes their texture once thawed. Since they’re so quick and easy, just start fresh!
Easy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
Did you make these Buttered Noodles? Leave a rating and comment below.
5 from 26 votes↑ Click stars to rate now! Or to leave a comment, click here!
Buttered Noodles
Make this simple and delicious recipe for buttered noodles for the perfect side dish or snack.
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles, reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.
Before draining the pasta, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta well, but do not rinse.
Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and melt the butter and garlic powder.
Stir the cooked noodles, parsley, Parmesan cheese if using, and pepper. Toss to coat and season with additional salt if desired. Stir in a tablespoon or two of pasta water to reach desired consistency.
Don’t rinse the pasta, or the butter won’t stick as well.
Depending on what you are serving this side with, you can add more Parmesan cheese to taste.
This lemon pepper chicken is as easy as it is delicious.
Juicy chicken breasts are baked on a bed of zucchini and smothered in a tangy lemon sauce.
This Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is sponsored by McCormick.
Quick to prep, this dish comes together with basic pantry ingredients and a few minutes in the oven!
Lemon pepper chicken is simple to make and packed with flavor from a simple homemade seasoning.
What You’ll Need For Lemon Pepper Chicken
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. You can replace the chicken breasts with boneless chicken thighs—the cooking time will need to be adjusted.
Seasoning: I make homemade lemon pepper seasoning since it has more flavor without being too salty. Ensure the lemon zest is dry if storing leftover seasoning or store it in the freezer.
Sauce: Fresh, whole lemons give this sauce a fresh lemon flavor. It’s slightly thickened with flour and seasoned with a homemade lemon pepper blend.
Stock/Wine: Use extra chicken stock or chicken broth instead of white wine if desired.
Zucchini: Zucchini can be replaced with other colorful summer squashes or sliced mushrooms.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
Soften the zucchini slightly and transfer to a casserole dish.
Brown the chicken and add it to the dish.
Simmer the sauce in the same skillet and spoon it oveer the chicken.
Bake until the chicken is cooked through (recipe below).
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat sauce in a pan, whisking in a little milk to emulsify. Add chicken to the sauce and reheat on low until warmed through.
Freeze chicken and sauce separately in zippered bags for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Tasty Chicken Dishes
Did your family love this Lemon Pepper Chicken? Leave us a rating and a comment below.
4.94 from 15 votes↑ Click stars to rate now! Or to leave a comment, click here!
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Tender juicy chicken in a tangy lemon sauce, baked to perfection!
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Prevent your screen from going dark
Preheat the oven to 350°F
In a bowl, combine zucchini, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, and green onions.
In an ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add the zucchini mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish or Dutch oven.
In a shallow bowl, combine flour and 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and shake to remove any excess (reserve the remaining flour to thicken the sauce).
Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and brown chicken over medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Place on top of zucchini.
Place broth, wine, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the leftover flour mixture and garlic powder in a jar and shake well to combine.
Pour into the warm skillet while whisking and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 minute while whisking and scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken breasts.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes longer or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Zucchini can be replaced with 8 oz sliced mushrooms (or a combination of the two). Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¾ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. To store leftover lemon pepper, spread the mixture onto a paper towel lined plate and allow it to dry overnight or until the lemon zest is completely dehydrated.
This sauce is packed with the rich and fresh flavor of garden tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It’s great for tossing with pasta, topping pizza, or serving over your favorite meatballs.
This sauce has a great flavor.
You need just a handful of fresh ingredients.
Fresh tomato sauce freezes well to enjoy all year long.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Ingredients For Fresh Tomato Sauce
Tomatoes: Use ripe garden tomatoes or summer market tomatoes—the riper, the better! You can use any variety of tomatoes for this recipe—plum tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or heirlooms are favorites.
Herbs: Dried herbs are added earlier in the cooking process so they have a chance to rehydrate. Fresh basil and parsley are added just before serving for a fresh flavor.
Red Wine: Use a dry wine like Italian Chianti or Pinot Noir. These pair well with the flavors of tomato and are, in general, very good wines to cook with. These wines can also pair well for drinking, so keep those leftovers to serve with dinner!
As this sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, the quality of the tomatoes is important for great flavor.
Tomatoes can range in flavor from very sweet to very tart or even bland if they’re not in season. Taste a slice of tomato before cooking. I’ve included some tips in the notes in the recipe below based on the flavor of your tomatoes.
If your tomatoes are very tart, you can add a little bit of shredded carrot or finely diced red peppers for sweetness (we do this with marinara sauce too). A pinch of sugar works too.
How to Peel Tomatoes
Peeling tomatoes is optional but I prefer the texture of the sauce with peeled tomatoes.
To peel tomatoes, cut an ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Place in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds and then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking. The skins will easily peel off.
How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce
Chop tomatoes in half and remove the seeds (catch any juices from the seeds in a bowl).
Sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic & seasonings.
Simmer the remaining ingredients with prepared tomatoes (per the recipe below).
Blend or mash to desired consistency. Stir in fresh herbs & serve.
Tips for Perfection
Ensure tomatoes are ripe and juicy, with a vibrant, tart flavor.
Strain the seeds but be sure to collect the juices, it adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
For a chunky sauce, skip the blender and instead break up the cooked tomatoes with a spoon or a masher.
Thicken the sauce further by cooking it longer.
If the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar, just a little at a time, until the flavor seems “just right.”
Fresh herbs are delicate and should be added just before serving.
Storage & Freezing
Store this fresh tomato sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ladle leftovers into a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes We Love
Did your family love this Fresh Tomato Sauce? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
5 from 1 vote↑ Click stars to rate now! Or to leave a comment, click here!
Fresh Tomato Sauce
This fresh tomato sauce is easy to make and perfect spooned over meatballs or your favorite pasta.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Prevent your screen from going dark
Peel the tomatoes by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and preparing a bowl of ice water. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato (just enough to cut through the skin). Place in the boiling water for 20 seconds and then into ice water. The skins will easily peel.
Place a fine strainer over a small bowl. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the seeds into the strainer being sure to reserve any juices in the bowl. Discard the seeds and chop the tomatoes into chunks.
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium low heat until tender, do not brown.
Once onion is tender, add garlic and seasonings. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, red wine, reserved tomato juices, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 45-55 minutes or until thickened.
Blend sauce with a hand blender (or pulse a few times in a food processor) to reach desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Stir in fresh herbs and serve.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled if desired and it freezes well. Tomato Flavor: The riper the tomatoes, the better the flavor of the sauce. Taste a slice of tomato before making the sauce; it should have a vibrant tart flavor. If the tomatoes are bland, the sauce will have less flavor. Strain the seeds but be sure to collect the juices, it adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
If your tomatoes are very tart add either 1 shredded carrot before simmering or a pinch of sugar for sweetness.
Some tomatoes are very sweet, if your sauce is too sweet, add 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
If your tomatoes are not flavorful, add 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste before simmering.
Sauce Texture
For a chunky texture, skip the blender and break up the tomatoes with a spoon as they cook.
For a smooth sauce, blend all of the tomatoes with an immersion blender.
Serving Suggestions
Do not rinse pasta before adding the sauce as the starches help it to cling to the pasta.
Thicken the sauce further by cooking it longer.
Fresh herbs are delicate and should be added just before serving.