Worcestershire Butter Pasta

Five Days Until Payday Gourmet Dinner

Sometimes the best pasta dinners come from a handful of pantry staples and a little creativity in the kitchen. This Worcestershire Butter Spaghetti is simple, savory, and comforting with buttery noodles, garlic, onion, and parmesan coming together in a silky sauce that clings to every bite.

I wanted to come up with a simple pantry staple pasta recipe that felt a little different from the usual jarred tomato sauce spaghetti. Lately I have been loving the savory flavor of Worcestershire butter, especially when I use it to make my Busia Burgers, and I started wondering how that same rich buttery flavor would taste tossed with pasta.

The result is this Worcestershire Butter Spaghetti. It reminds me a little bit of the comforting flavor of a packet of ramen made almost entirely from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Why Worcestershire ?

Worcestershire sauce might seem like an unusual ingredient for pasta, but it actually brings a flavor that works surprisingly well in an Italian inspired dish.

Traditional Worcestershire sauce is made by fermenting ingredients like anchovies, vinegar, molasses, tamarind, garlic, onion, and spices. The anchovies are especially important because they add a deep savory flavor known as umami.

Anchovies are used often in Italian cooking, especially in sauces, dressings, and pasta dishes where they melt into the background and add richness without tasting fishy.

Because of that anchovy base, Worcestershire sauce naturally leans toward flavors that feel at home with ingredients like butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, and pasta, even though this recipe itself is more of a pantry inspired twist than a traditional Italian dish.

Worcestershire In Powder Form

When I set out to make this pasta I realized I did not have any Worcestershire sauce in the fridge. I only had Worcestershire powder in my pantry.

Instead of skipping it, I dissolved about a teaspoon of the powder in a few tablespoons of the hot pasta cooking water. The heat helps the powder dissolve smoothly so it turns it into a quick savory liquid that blends right into the butter and garlic.

The starchy pasta water also helps the sauce come together and coat the noodles. Even without a traditional sauce this simple trick creates a silky, flavorful pasta using just pantry ingredients.

I get my powder on Amazon. There are a lot of different brands and I have yet to try one I didn’t like.

I use it in a lot of recipes. My favorite one to use it in is my Caesar Salad Recipe!

Add Some Crunch

If you would like to add a little crunch to this pasta, toasted panko breadcrumbs are a great topping. Simply heat a small skillet over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil.

Next add about 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs and cook while stirring often until they turn golden brown and crispy.

Once the crumbs are toasted, stir in a small clove of very finely minced garlic, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a little grated parmesan cheese if you like. Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the finished pasta right before serving.

This adds a buttery, crunchy topping and also adds great texture to the silky and buttery noodles.

If Using Liquid Worcestershire

If you are using liquid Worcestershire sauce instead of the powder, you can simply add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce to the skillet after cooking the onion and garlic. Let it simmer for about 30 seconds before adding the pasta water so the flavor blends into the butter and oil.

Liquid Worcestershire is already diluted, so you do not need to dissolve it in pasta water the way you would with the powder. If you like a slightly stronger savory flavor, you can increase it to 1½ tablespoons, but I would start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste.

Add Ins To Make This Even Better

You can easily build on this pasta with a few pantry ingredients if you want to change the flavor or use up things you already have on hand. The buttery Worcestershire sauce works really well with ingredients that add a little saltiness, brightness, or texture.

Capers are a great addition. Stir in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of drained capers when you add the pasta to the skillet. They add a nice briny pop that balances the butter and parmesan.

If you have sun dried tomatoes, chop a few and sauté them briefly with the onion so they soften and add a little sweetness and richness to the sauce.

A handful of frozen peas can be tossed in during the last minute of cooking the pasta. When you drain the pasta they will be perfectly tender and add a little color and sweetness.

If you have mushrooms, slice them and cook them with the onion until they brown. Mushrooms add another layer of savory flavor that works really nicely with the Worcestershire.

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a little lemon zest at the end brightens the whole dish and makes the butter sauce taste lighter.

You could also stir in fresh herbs like parsley or basil right before serving for a little freshness.

For a heartier version, add crispy bacon pieces, diced ham, or leftover rotisserie chicken when tossing the pasta in the sauce.

This recipe is really meant to be a flexible pantry pasta, so it is a great way to use up little bits of ingredients you might already have in the fridge or pantry.

Save Money

This is the kind of pasta recipe that is perfect for those nights when you are trying to stretch the grocery budget. When you want to make something good with what you already have on hand.

Most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples like spaghetti, onion, garlic, butter, and parmesan. A little Worcestershire goes a long way in adding flavor.

It is the type of comforting meal you can throw together when payday is still a few days away but you still want something warm and satisfying for dinner.

You could probably even find most of the ingredients for this recipe at the dollar store. Many dollar stores carry pasta, seasonings, garlic, onion, and even shelf stable parmesan cheese.

This makes this an easy and affordable meal to pull together without a big grocery bill. With just a few cheap ingredients and a little pasta water to bring the sauce together you end up with a surprisingly flavorful bowl of spaghetti that feels a lot more special than the price tag.