My sister-in-law brought this dish to a church potluck last winter, and by the next week her little butter board twist had made its way all over everyone’s Facebook feed. It’s what happens when that fancy “butter board” trend meets plain old Midwestern baked spaghetti: you smear soft, seasoned butter right in the baking dish, lay hot pasta over it, and let the oven do the work. The result is golden, glossy noodles that taste like garlic bread and spaghetti had a baby. With only four ingredients and one pan, this is the kind of practical comfort food you can pull together on a tired weeknight or stretch to feed a tableful of hungry grandkids.
This oven baked butter board spaghetti is rich and buttery, so I like to keep the sides simple: a crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette, some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, or a bowl of steamed green beans tossed with a squeeze of lemon. If you want to lean into the comfort, serve it with warm breadsticks or a crusty loaf for swiping up every last bit of melted herb butter from the dish. A glass of iced tea or a light red wine pairs nicely, and leftover spaghetti reheats well in a skillet with just a splash of water for next-day lunches.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Butter Board SpaghettiServings: 6
Ingredients
12 oz dry spaghetti
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
2 tbsp dried Italian herb blend (or a mix of dried parsley, basil, and oregano)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 tbsp kosher salt, for pasta water (optional but recommended)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional, for serving)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish if your butter is very cold or your pan tends to stick.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the kosher salt, if using, then add the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti 1–2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente; the noodles will finish softening in the oven. Drain well but do not rinse.
While the pasta cooks, place the very soft butter in a medium bowl. Add the dried Italian herb blend and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan. Stir until everything is evenly combined and the butter is flecked with herbs.
Spoon the herb butter into the bottom of the glass baking dish. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, smear it all over the bottom and slightly up the sides of the dish, just like you would spread butter onto a big wooden board. You want a generous, even layer of butter so every strand of pasta will pick some up.
Working quickly while the spaghetti is still hot, transfer the drained noodles into the butter-lined baking dish. Use tongs or a large fork to gently toss and turn the spaghetti right in the dish, twirling and lifting so the hot noodles melt and grab onto the herb butter underneath.
Once the spaghetti looks glossy and most of the butter is melted and coating the noodles, sprinkle the remaining grated Parmesan evenly over the top. Use your fork or tongs to lightly fluff and fold the top layer of spaghetti so some of the cheese falls down into the pasta while still leaving a good amount on top.
Cover the baking dish loosely with foil, tenting it so it doesn’t press down on the pasta. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the butter is bubbling around the edges.
Remove the foil and continue baking for another 5–8 minutes, until the top of the spaghetti is lightly golden in spots and the edges look a bit crisp. Don’t overbake; you want the noodles still soft and glossy, not dry.
Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. This helps the butter settle into the pasta instead of running all over when you serve.
To serve, use a serving fork or tongs to twirl generous portions of spaghetti straight from the baking dish, lifting and twisting so you see those shiny, herb-speckled strands with little shavings of Parmesan clinging to them. Finish with extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper, if you like, and serve hot right from the glass dish at the table.
Variations & Tips
You can nudge this simple four-ingredient base in a few directions without losing the spirit of my sister-in-law’s butter board idea. For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the herb butter before smearing it in the dish. If you prefer fresh herbs, you can swap half of the dried Italian blend for 2–3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley or basil, but keep some dried herbs for that familiar Midwestern flavor. For garlic lovers, stir 1–2 teaspoons of garlic powder into the butter; if using fresh garlic, finely mince 2–3 cloves and cook them gently in a small skillet with a tablespoon of the butter until fragrant, then mix into the rest of the butter so the garlic is mellow and not harsh. To make it a bit lighter, you can cut the butter down to 3/4 cup and add a splash (2–3 tablespoons) of pasta cooking water when you toss the hot noodles in the dish, which helps the butter coat the pasta. For extra protein, serve this spaghetti alongside grilled chicken or baked fish rather than baking the meat into the noodles, which keeps the recipe simple and helps it cook evenly. Leftovers should be cooled quickly, then stored in a covered container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3–4 days; reheat in a skillet over low heat with a tablespoon or two of water, tossing until hot. Because this recipe uses dairy, don’t leave the finished dish sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if your kitchen is very warm). Always reheat leftovers until they are steaming hot throughout, and discard any spaghetti that has an off smell or appearance.
