Baked pasta in air fryer, a quick first course gratinated like the best oven-baked pastas. For this gratinated pasta in the air fryer, I chose very appreciated ingredients, tomatoes, mozzarella, and eggplants. After pre-cooking penne pasta, I seasoned them with tomato sauce, pre-fried eggplants in air fryer, cheese, and, if desired, cooked ham. For the baked pasta recipe in air fryer you can also choose other pasta shapes, like rigatoni. I often use whole wheat pasta, from penne to rigatoni, and I must say it turns out great. Needless to say, at my house, they raced to grab the last bite of this messy pasta in the air fryer.
To gratinate the pasta in the air fryer, it will take 20 minutes. The cooking time you find in the sheet includes the cooking time of the eggs, eggplants, and pasta.
This recipe is taken from my book Air Fryer (ed.Gribaudo), in this book, you will find many first courses. At the bottom of the article, you will find the link.
Also try these Air fryer recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for pasta with eggplants in air fryer
- 14 oz penne rigate (preferably whole wheat)
- 1 2/3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 round eggplant
- 2 eggs
- 5 oz scamorza cheese (or mozzarella)
- 3 oz cooked ham (optional)
- 10 leaves basil
- extra virgin olive oil (Spray)
- salt
- 1 tbsp Grana Padano cheese, grated
What you need to make gratinated pasta in air fryer
- 1 Air fryer with basket or door*
- 1 Aluminum tray Sized for the basket
How to make gratinated penne in air fryer
To start, wash and trim the eggplant. Cut it into regular cubes and distribute them in the air fryer basket. Spray the eggplants with a little oil, mix, and cook for 17 minutes at 392°F, shaking the basket after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil to cook the pasta. Hard boil the eggs by boiling them for 10 minutes in a saucepan*. Drop the pasta and cook it for half the time indicated on the package. Then, drain it, rinse under cold running water, and put it back in the pot where you boiled it. Cut the scamorza cheese and ham into pieces. Spray the tray to be placed in the air fryer with a little oil.
Season the pasta with tomato sauce and mix. Add the scamorza cheese, ham, eggplants, peeled and chopped eggs, and basil leaves. Mix well and pour the pasta into the oiled tray. Level it and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Insert the pasta tray into the air fryer and start cooking for 12 minutes at 392°F, then lower the temperature to 356°F and continue cooking for another 8 minutes.
Now your baked pasta in the air fryer is ready to be served at the table.
Extra tips for making messy pasta in air fryer
This recipe is an excellent starting point that lends itself to many variations.
Hard-boiled eggs in air fryer
Though it may seem unnecessary, it might be useful to know that hard-boiled eggs can be cooked in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 392°F. Perhaps they can be cooked, well washed, along with the eggplants.
Gratinated pasta with zucchini in air fryer
Instead of eggplants and tomato sauce, you can use 1 2/3 cups of béchamel and 14 oz of diced zucchini.
