This 4-ingredient slow cooker Amish-style butter noodles recipe is my minimalist, weeknight-friendly spin on a beloved church-basement classic. Instead of fussing with boiling water and multiple pots, you pour raw bowtie pasta straight into the crock, cover it with a buttery, pale-yellow broth, and let the slow cooker do the work. The result is a silky, rich noodle dish that tastes like it simmered on a farmhouse stove all afternoon—perfect for holidays, potlucks, or any time you need a comforting starch that practically cooks itself.
Serve these buttery bowtie noodles as a cozy side dish alongside roast chicken, turkey, ham, or a simple pan-seared pork chop. They’re also lovely with a crisp green salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, or steamed green beans to balance the richness. If you’d like to turn this into a main course, top each serving with shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover holiday turkey and finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and black pepper at the table.
Slow Cooker Amish Butter Bowtie NoodlesServings: 6
Ingredients
16 ounces (1 pound) dry bowtie (farfalle) pasta
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Directions
Lightly coat the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin film of butter to help prevent sticking.
Pour the dry bowtie pasta evenly into the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading it out so it sits in a relatively even layer.
In a medium saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, gently warm the chicken broth until it is hot but not boiling; this helps the noodles start cooking more evenly in the slow cooker.
Add the butter pieces and the salt to the hot broth and stir until most of the butter has melted into a pale yellow, buttery liquid.
Slowly pour the hot buttery broth mixture over the dry bowtie pasta in the slow cooker, making sure all of the pasta is submerged or at least moistened. Gently press down any pieces that are sitting high and dry.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Do not lift the lid during this time, as you want to trap the steam so the noodles hydrate properly.
After 1 hour, open the lid and gently stir the noodles from the bottom up, making sure to bring any pasta from the edges into the center so it cooks evenly in the buttery liquid.
Continue cooking on HIGH for another 30 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until the bowtie pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed into a glossy, buttery coating. The exact time will depend on your slow cooker and how firm you like your pasta.
Taste and adjust seasoning with a bit more salt if needed. If the noodles seem a touch dry at the end, you can stir in a splash of hot water or extra hot broth, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until they’re as saucy as you like.
Turn the slow cooker to WARM and serve the noodles straight from the crock, or transfer to a warmed serving dish for the table.
Variations & Tips
For a peppery farmhouse feel, finish the cooked noodles with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. To echo the creamy Amish versions, stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream or evaporated milk during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, letting it thicken slightly with the starch from the pasta. If you’d like a full meal in one crock, fold in 2 to 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken or turkey during the final 20 minutes, just long enough to warm through. Fresh herbs such as chopped parsley or chives can be added right before serving for color and brightness without changing the core 4-ingredient base. For a slightly lighter take, swap half of the butter for olive oil; you’ll still get a rich, silky texture with a bit less heaviness. If your slow cooker tends to run hot and the edges dry out, stir a bit more frequently and keep a small amount of hot broth or water on hand to splash in as needed to maintain that glossy, buttery pool around the noodles.
