Cooking with butter...Noodles with Brown Butter and Cracker Crumbs

This photo is from Sue - she doesn't use a recipe either!

 One of the dishes I enjoyed as a kid was noodles with brown butter and cracker crumbs. Now, I do not know if this was a German dish, most likely, as we were raised in a mostly German community. But, I have fond memories of my Mother, Grandmother and Aunts making this.
 Sue says that French chef Pierre Franey said his mother made this recipe and called it "Alsatian noodles".  Our grandfather's family immigrated from Colmar in Alsace, so that may be the origin of the recipe in our family.

 Sue and I still make it for our families and I will try to make it and write down the directions and amounts. This is one of those, “I always make it” like this, with no recipe or directions. So here goes.

Noodles with Brown Butter and Cracker Crumbs

8 ounces of dried egg noodles (we prefer thin noodles for this)

2/3 cup butter*

1 sleeve or about 2 cups cracker crumbs*

Start the butter melting, it needs a little while to Brown. You want it to be brown not just melted or gold color, but brown so you get that flavor. Also, margarine will not work with this. Must be butter. Better for you anyway than stick margarine.

Coarsely crush the crackers. Putting them in a plastic zip top bag works well. Not fine crumbs, as you want them to get buttery.

Put the noodles on to cook, using package directions. When done drain, put in bowl, sprinkle with crumbs. Now comes the best part. Pour the browned butter over all and with two forks toss. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and enjoy.

*Remember the butter must be brown and this will take the longest time.

*You can add any left over party crackers, but saltines work the best.
This will easily feed four with leftovers and at $1.06 for noodles, 77 cents for butter, and 46 cents for crackers makes an inexpensive meal.