Amish Noodles

It’s no secret that a bowl of hot cooked pasta is one of the best comfort foods, but this recipe takes ordinary egg noodles to the next level. Amish noodles are a popular Pennsylvania Dutch recipe that packs a surprising amount of flavor with a few ordinary kitchen staples. The secret to these extra flavorful noodles is one you might not expect: browned butter (don’t worry, browned butter is a cinch to make!). Serve the noodles as a side dish, or make some for yourself as an indulgent snack.

What are Amish noodles?

Amish recipes are notable for their simplicity and comforting home-cooked flavor, and that’s precisely what you get with this Amish noodles recipe. Egg noodles joined with only three ingredients have a deep, savory, rich flavor thanks to being simmered in a blend of chicken stock and browned butter.

Though the Amish noodle recipe calls for standard, store-bought egg noodles, if you’re in Pennsylvania Dutch country or another Amish community, you’ll likely find packages of Amish-made egg noodles. Regular egg noodles are made with whole eggs, and the Amish variety is traditionally made with yolks only—sometimes double the amount of a typical pasta recipe. The yolks give the noodles a more intense yellow color and extra flavor. (This rule isn’t hard and fast, however, as you may find some brands labeled as Amish but made with whole eggs.) It doesn’t matter whether your egg noodles are Amish-made or not: This is still a delicious recipe.

Ingredients for Amish Noodles

• Butter: Use any unsalted type of butter for Amish buttered noodles. European and Amish butters have exceptional flavor and less water to cook off.
• Chicken broth: Instead of cooking the noodles in water, infuse them with flavor by cooking them in store-bought or homemade chicken broth.
• Chicken bouillon cube: Because we’re going for lots of flavor, our Amish noodles recipe adds a cube of concentrated chicken bouillon to make the broth extra chicken-y.
• Egg noodles: Look for extra-wide egg noodles for this recipe. The larger noodles hold up well as they cook and soak up the flavors.
• Black pepper: It’s an optional ingredient, but a grind of coarse pepper is a tasty, spicy finish to the buttery, infused noodles.

Directions

Step 1: Brown the butter

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for five to seven minutes until the butter turns golden brown.

Editor’s Tip: The key to making brown butter is moving the milk solids around while the butter cooks. You don’t want the milk solids to stick to the bottom of the pan or they’ll burn. Gently browning those solids gives brown butter its rich, nutty flavor.

Step 2: Add the broth and noodles

Whisk in the broth and bouillon, and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir in the dry egg noodles, then return the liquid to a boil. Cover the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Allow the noodles to sit in the covered pan for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. If desired, serve the noodles topped with ground black pepper.

Editor’s Tip: Strain the noodles from the cooking liquid when tender (ideally al dente). If the noodles sit in the broth too long, they’ll soak it up and become mushy. But don’t throw out that cooking liquid! Saving pasta water is a secret of chefs, who use it as a base to make more voluptuous sauces—and this pasta water is packed with browned butter and chicken flavor. Transfer the cooled liquid to a separate, sealed container. Store it in the fridge for three to four days, or freeze it for up to three months.

Sarah Tramonte for Taste Recipes

Amish Noodles Variations

• Make the noodles beefy: Replace the chicken broth and bouillon with an equal amount of store-bought or homemade beef broth and a beef bouillon cube.
• Try meat-free noodles: Use vegetable broth in the recipe instead of chicken, along with a vegetable bouillon cube or a little vegetable stock concentrate.
• Add fresh herbs: For a pretty presentation and extra flavor, garnish the Amish noodles recipe with chopped fresh parsley, dill, thyme or sage.

How to Store Amish Noodles

Store Amish noodles in the refrigerator to protect their quality and texture. Transfer the cooled noodles (strained out of the cooking liquid) to a tightly sealed food storage container. They’ll last for three to four days.

How do you reheat Amish noodles?

One easy way to reheat this Amish noodles recipe is in the microwave. Put the noodles in a heat-proof bowl and lightly cover them. Microwave the noodles in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, until they’re heated through. You can also reheat the noodles in a saucepan set over medium-low heat; add a little butter or water (or some of your saved pasta water) to the pan and stir the noodles until heated.

Amish Noodle Tips

Sarah Tramonte for Taste Recipes

Do you need to brown the butter when making Amish noodles?

Browned butter is chock-full of rich, caramelized flavor, and when learning how to make Amish noodles, the aim is to infuse the pasta with as much flavor as possible. As the milk solids brown, the butter takes on nutty and toasted notes that elevate the recipe, and it happens in just minutes. So, yes, do brown your butter for Amish noodles.

What can you serve with Amish noodles?

Amish noodles are versatile for all sorts of comfort food dinners. Try the noodles with Amish recipes such as meat-filled cabbage rolls, slices of onion cake or roasted chicken. You can top Amish noodles with tender, slow-cooked meats like sauerbraten or German-style pot roast. Use the cooked pasta in egg noodle recipes too: Two that we recommend are chicken Stroganoff and Salisbury steak.