Air Fryer Pasta Chips (Viral TikTok Recipe) (2024)

ByLeslie KiszkaPostedJan 2, 2023Oct 22, 2023UpdatedOct 22, 2023

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Testing the viral TikTok air fryer pasta chips recipe that I've seen all over the internet! According to the TikTok community, these are supposed to be crispy, seasoned alternatives to potato chips using simple ingredients and an air fryer. Find out how they turned out for me and if they live up to the hype!

I've resisted making any of the food trends that I've seen go viral on TikTok over the last couple years since I joined the app, but I finally caved when I heard about these air fryer pasta chips.

It sounded like a relatively easy way to make an alternative snack to potato chips, and… well, I want to be cool like the cool kids on the interwebs.

So let's dig into the ingredients, the process, and whether I feel this viral sensation is worth the hype it's gotten!

Air Fryer Pasta Chip Ingredients

• Pasta: I used a combination of farfalle and rigatoni for testing purposes
• Olive oil: To coat the pasta after cooking
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated, to coat the cooked pasta
• Italian seasoning: To coat the cooked pasta. Don't have Italian seasoning on hand? Check out the recipe to make your own below!
• Garlic powder: More flavor for the cooked pasta
• Salt: Salt in the pasta water, salt on the cooked pasta

What's the best shape pasta for pasta chips?

The type of pasta should be one that's hearty and large enough that you can grab and dip it like a potato chip.

I used rigatoni and farfalle (bowtie pasta) for my testing, but I'd imagine you could also use ziti, rotini or penne as well.

Whole wheat and gluten free pasta would likely work as well.

How to make your own Italian seasoning

If you don't have Italian seasoning on hand, just combine the below ingredients in a small bowl and measure out 1 teaspoon for the purpose of this recipe. Store the rest in an airtight container.

• 1/2tablespoondried basil
• 1/2tablespoondried thyme
• 1/2tablespoondried rosemary
• 1/2tablespoondried marjoram
• 1/2tablespoondried parsley
• 1tablespoonsdried oregano
• 1/2teaspoongarlic powder
• 1/2teaspoonred pepper flakes

How to make air fryer pasta chips

1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions, until al dente or a little bit past al dente. Drain. No need to rinse with cold water or coat in oil, because we're going to take care of that in the next step.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta to a large bowl with olive oil, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Toss mixture with wooden spoons until coated.

3. Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spray air fryer basket with nonstick spray to prevent pasta from sticking. Place seasoned pasta in the air fryer basket in a single layer, spray the tops of the pasta again.
4. Air fry for 10-15 minutes (tossing halfway through), or until the pasta is golden brown and crisp. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in batches.
5. Carefully remove from the air fryer and transfer to serving dish with your favorite dipping sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Serving options

From what I saw in my research, most people used a marinara sauce as their dip. And admittedly, that's a solid choice – as you may have seen in my mozzarella sticks recipe.

Here are some other dipping sauce ideas:

• Beer cheese dip
• Ranchdip
• Hummus
• Sour cream and onion dip

Can you make pasta chips without an air fryer?

Sure can! You can bake the pasta chips on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until they're golden brown and crispy.

The oven-baked version won't be as crisp as the ones made in the air fryer.

Observations and tips

• I found that spraying my air fryer basket before and after adding the seasoned pasta resulted in zero sticking when I tossed them halfway through, as well as a more golden brown color in the end.
• I added another sprinkle of Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese after I added the pasta to the air fryer basket for a little more flavor.
• The addition of onion powder, cayenne powder and paprika kicked up the spice and flavor.
• I found it a bit difficult to get consistent results if you combine different kinds of pasta in the same batch, so I'd recommend separating them during the air frying process.