This fried spaghetti recipe turns cooked pasta into crispy, chewy, garlic-buttery perfection. Top it with your favorite pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese for a seriously comforting meal that’s ready in just 30 minutes. This was the most iconic dinner of my childhood!
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This fried spaghetti (along with “Little Guys,” a.k.a. chicken schnitzel) is one of the most iconic recipes of my childhood. We had it once a week.
And even though we always called it “fried spaghetti,” Noni almost always made it with penne. I’m sharing her exact recipe here, but I used shellbows because all those little pockets soak up even more garlic butter.
No matter the pasta shape, the method was always the same: Boil the pasta, drain it, then fry it in plenty of butter and garlic powder until the edges are golden brown, crispy and chewy. Think of the texture of the edge piece of lasagna. It has that ideal amount of bite and CRUNCH.
Basically, Noni was making pasta chips 35 years before they were even a thing.
- Pasta: In my family, “fried spaghetti” was the name of the dish, not the noodle shape. And while you absolutely can use spaghetti, I recommend using a short pasta. Penne, shells, rigatoni, fusilli and bowties are all great options because they have plenty of edges to get crispy and lots of little pockets to catch the garlic butter. Whatever shape you choose, cook it just until al dente.
- Butter: The butter coats the noodles and helps those edges turn beautifully golden and crisp. If you love buttered noodles, try my cacio e pepe next!
- Garlic powder: This is one of those times when I don’t swap in fresh garlic. Garlic powder disperses evenly throughout the melted butter and coats every noodle without the risk of little pieces of fresh garlic burning while the pasta fries.
- Bolognese sauce: Store-bought absolutely works, but when I have a batch of homemade Bolognese sauce on hand, that’s my go-to. Or skip the meat sauce and spoon marinara sauce on top instead.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Start by cooking your pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, then drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then stir in the garlic powder. Add the drained pasta and stir to coat it in the garlic butter.
Success tip: Resist the urge to stir too often. The pasta needs contact time with the hot pan to develop those golden brown, crispy edges. If you stir constantly, you’ll end up with just warm pasta instead of toasted noodles.
You don’t need every single noodle to be crispy. In fact, you don’t want it to be! The best part of fried spaghetti is the combination of textures. Some edges get crisp and crunchy while the rest of the pasta stays chewy and tender.
The Most Important Rule: Do NOT Add the Sauce to the Skillet
If there’s one thing I learned from watching Noni make this recipe week after week, it’s this: You always spoon the spaghetti sauce on top. It’s never stirred into the skillet. Never tossed with the noodles.
Adding the sauce to the skillet will soften all those crispy edges you just spent 7 to 10 minutes creating. Instead, divide the fried pasta among bowls, then spoon the warm Bolognese over the top. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. This way, every forkful gets a little bit of everything: crispy pasta, garlic butter, sauce and cheese.
This pasta recipe is all about TEXTURE and FLAVOR!
And if you’re looking for something to serve alongside it, my pizza dough garlic knots are the perfect easy side for soaking up extra sauce.
Can I Use Leftover Pasta?
Yes! While I make this with freshly cooked pasta 99% of the time, this is one seriously delicious way to give leftover pasta a second life! Add leftover pasta directly to the skillet with the melted garlic butter. Because it’s starting cold, it may take a little longer to heat through and develop those crispy, toasted edges.
One important note: This works best with plain leftover pasta. If your noodles are already tossed with sauce, they won’t crisp up the same way in the skillet.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. uncooked short pasta, such as penne or shells
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 cups Bolognese sauce
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Add the butter to a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the garlic powder then stir in the drained pasta.
- Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it’s toasted and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to serving bowls then spoon the Bolognese on top. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- Leftover pasta: You can use plain leftover cooked pasta instead of freshly cooked pasta. Add it directly to the skillet with the garlic butter and cook until heated through and crispy around the edges.
- Storage and reheating: Store the fried pasta and Bolognese separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium heat with a small pat of butter to help revive some of those crispy, toasted edges, then top with the reheated sauce.
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