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If you’ve never made buttered Cabbage and egg noodles, you’re in for a surprise. Just three ingredients — cabbage, wide egg noodles, and a generous amount of butter — and about 40 minutes of mostly hands-off cooking. The cabbage slowly caramelizes in the pan until it’s soft, golden, and almost sweet, and the noodles soak up every bit of that buttery flavor. It’s humble, it’s cozy, and it tastes a whole lot better than it has any right to.
Why You’ll Love This
- Only 3 ingredients — cabbage, egg noodles, and butter. That’s really it.
- Budget-friendly — one of those rare dishes that tastes more expensive than it is, and a head of cabbage goes a long way.
- Surprisingly satisfying — filling without being heavy, the kind of meal that actually sticks with you.
- The leftovers are even better — crisp them up in a skillet the next day and they’re a completely different dish.
- Picky-eater approved — once the cabbage cooks down, it goes golden and soft and blends right into the noodles.
About the Ingredients
The cabbage: Green cabbage, standard. I know savoy cabbage exists and it’s more tender and ruffly and maybe technically better here, but I’ve never once bought savoy for this dish because I think half the point is using what’s cheap and what lasts. A medium head, cored and sliced into shreds — wide ones, not fine — is what you want.
The butter: Unsalted, a full stick. Don’t try to reduce it. I’ve tried. It’s not the same. If you want to use half olive oil, you can, but don’t cut the total fat significantly or you’ll end up with something that tastes vaguely sad.
The egg noodles: Wide ones. The broad, flat kind. They tangle up with the cabbage in a way that thinner noodles just don’t. Any brand is fine — this is truly not a place for brand loyalty.
Salt and pepper: That’s it.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, divided (6 tablespoons for cooking, 2 tablespoons for finishing)
- 1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 to 2½ pounds, cored and widely shredded
- 12 ounces dry wide egg noodles
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste at the end)
- Black pepper for serving (optional)
Let’s Make It
Boil the water: Get a big pot of well-salted water going — more salt than you think, this is pasta water — and then leave it alone to come to a boil while you deal with the cabbage.
Prep the cabbage: Core the cabbage and slice it into long, wide shreds. Wider than you might think because they cook down a lot. If you cut them too fine you’ll end up with something that disappears into the noodles rather than tangling with them.
Sauté the cabbage: Melt six tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add all the cabbage — yes, all of it, even though it looks like an impossible mountain — and the teaspoon of salt, and stir it around to get the butter on everything.
Cook low and slow: Keep the heat at medium, maybe nudging toward medium-low if it starts to color too fast. Stir every few minutes, but let it sit between stirs so it gets color. This takes 20 to 25 minutes. That time is what turns raw, sharp cabbage into something that’s almost sweet and nutty with golden edges.
Cook the noodles: While the cabbage caramelizes, drop your egg noodles into the boiling water. When the noodles are cooked — just tender, not mushy — drain them well. Toss them with a tiny pat of butter if they are going to sit a minute so they don’t stick together.
Combine everything: Once the cabbage is done (soft, slightly golden, with some properly browned spots), taste it and add a little more salt if needed. Dump the noodles right into the skillet. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and toss everything together over low heat until the butter melts and everything looks glossy.
Rest and serve: Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish to serve. Let it sit for five minutes before digging in so the noodles can fully absorb the buttery juices.
Variations
A spoonful of sour cream stirred in at the end makes it creamy and rich — honestly very good, even if it’s not the classic version. A sprinkle of parmesan over the top works too, which I initially resisted and now secretly like.
If you want protein in it, sliced kielbasa or cooked sausage goes in right before serving. I’ve added leftover rotisserie Chicken, crispy bacon bits, even a couple of fried eggs on top when I’m serving it to someone who thinks carbs aren’t a full meal. (They are a full meal. I stand by this.)
A pinch of garlic powder or onion powder in with the cabbage deepens the flavor without complicating the dish. I don’t always do this but sometimes the mood calls for it.
Leftovers & Reheating
This keeps in the refrigerator for four or five days, covered. To reheat, a skillet with a little butter works best. Press it down so the bottom gets a bit crispy, let it sit a minute, then stir it up. It takes on a slightly toasty, textured character that some people actually prefer.
A microwave works in a pinch; just cover the dish so the noodles don’t dry out.
Serve it with something fresh on the side if you can — sliced tomatoes, a simple salad, something that cuts through the richness a little. Some crusty bread for the buttery bits left in the dish. It pairs well with sausage if you want to make it feel like a bigger meal, or with nothing at all if it’s a Thursday and you just want to eat something good without overthinking it.
Every time I make this, I’m reminded that the best meals are usually the simplest ones — a stick of butter, a head of cabbage, a box of noodles, and a little patience.
3-Ingredient Cabbage and Egg Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons, divided
- 1 medium head green cabbage about 2 to 2 1/2 lb, cored and widely shredded
- 12 oz dry wide egg noodles
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- black pepper optional, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Core the cabbage and slice it into long, wide shreds.
- Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add the shredded cabbage and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, then stir to coat the cabbage in butter.
- Cook the cabbage over medium to medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until soft, lightly golden, and browned in spots.
- While the cabbage cooks, add the egg noodles to the boiling water and cook until just tender.
- Drain the noodles well.
- Taste the cabbage and add more salt if needed.
- Add the drained noodles to the skillet with the cabbage.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and toss over low heat until the butter melts and everything is glossy.
- Transfer to a glass baking dish and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with black pepper if desired.