Perhaps you’re pressed for time and wondering, “Can you cook pasta in an air fryer?”. Air fryers are synonymous with bringing food to a crisp fried texture without the oil.
That’s what makes using an air fryer the healthier choice. But can you cook foods not meant for frying, like pasta?
This article will explore the different approaches when cooking pasta in your air fryer. And we’ll offer some tips to ensure your pasta dish turns out perfectly every time.
Contents
What Is An Air Fryer?
While an air fryer is intended for frying foods without oil, it works similarly to a convection oven. The food is cooked through hot air that circulates and penetrates the food from all sides.
But air fryers are significantly smaller than ovens and cook the food at a higher intensity. Therefore, your food cooks much faster in an air fryer. And the fact that there’s no need to use any oil makes it an excellent option for a healthier diet.
Although we associate air fryers with producing crisp food, you can also use them to produce a successful baked dish. This makes the air fryer an incredibly useful appliance.
Can You Cook Pasta In An Air Fryer?
So, can you cook pasta in an air fryer like you would in the oven or on the stove? Essentially, you can. But you cannot use an air fryer to boil pasta. You can only use your air fryer for cooking crisp pasta or a baked pasta dish.
The following options offer a guide for using your air fryer to cook pasta in different ways.
Crispy Pasta Chips
Are you looking for a crisp alternative to a traditional pasta dish? Instead of traditional pasta and sauce, make tasty pasta chips and use the sauce as a dip. These easy steps will detail how to create this fantastic meal.
- Boil your pasta, as usual, ensuring it’s somewhat al dente and retains its shape. You can use any type of pasta except long pasta strands like spaghetti and linguine.
- Drain the pasta and toss it in a mixture of olive oil and seasoning. We recommend salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. You can also add powdered parmesan cheese for a cheesy flavor profile.
- Put the pasta into your air fryer basket and fry it at 400°F (about 200°C) for no more than 12 minutes. Check on your pasta chips every few minutes and give them a toss to ensure they don’t stick together.
- Serve your delicious, crisp pasta treats straight out of the air fryer. And include your pasta sauce on the side as a dip.
Pasta Bake
Many may be surprised to learn that you can cook a delicious pasta bake in an air fryer without the pasta becoming crisp.
Following these steps will ensure your pasta maintains the same texture it would in the oven. We’ll use the example of a traditional macaroni and cheese dish to illustrate.
- Any type of pasta will do, but for this example, we’ve used elbow macaroni. Place your uncooked pasta in a bowl and allow it to soak in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes.
- Mix butter, milk, cream cheese, and vegetable stock in a microwavable jug. Heat the mixture in the microwave but only to the point at which the butter melts.
- Drain the excess water from your cooked pasta and mix it with the hot liquid.
- Then add grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese into the mixture.
- Season the dish with salt and pepper. And feel free to incorporate any other spices and herbs you like.
- Pour the mixture into your air fryer’s handled cooking dish and place a layer of parchment paper on top. Then cover the top with foil.
- Cook the mixture in your air fryer at 400°F (about 200°C) for approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
- Once done, give it a stir and serve it immediately.
Conclusion
While it’s not possible to boil pasta in an air fryer, you can use it for cooking pasta in an alternative manner. Air-fried pasta chips have become a popular snack worldwide due to viral TikTok video recipes.
However, creating a delicious pasta bake is possible using the air fryer. So, if you’re asking, “Can you cook pasta in an air fryer?” simply follow our tips above for a great pasta meal.