Do you love pasta but want to eat it with your hands and dip it into tomato sauce? Pasta chips are for you!

Crispy, crunchy, and totally dippable, pasta chips are all over Tiktok right now. Essentially, it’s cooked, al dente pasta that’s tossed in oil, cheese, and seasoning, then crisped up in the air fryer. If you like crunchy with a bit of chew in the middle, give them a try!

What are pasta chips?

Pasta chips are golden brown “chips” that are basically deep fried pasta. You can make them in the air fryer which makes them a perfect, quick snack when you’re looking for something warm and crunchy. Any type of pasta works but larger shapes that you can pick up and dip are the best.

Even though pasta chips are trending right now, they’re actually kind of an established snack. Crispy crunchy pasta chips have been on the internet at least since 2013. I remember seeing them on this crazy wonderful food/fashion blog and I wanted to eat crispy penne so much after reading that post.

What do pasta chips taste like?

If you’re the kind of person who likes the crunchy edges of lasagna then pasta chips are going to be your jam. They’re crunchy and crisp with a tiny bit of pasta chew in the middle. They taste just the the crunchy edges of lasagna or the little bits of macaroni that stick up in baked mac and cheese. As a lasagna edge lover, I am all over these chips.

How to make pasta chips

1. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente in salted water according to package instructions. Drain well.
2. Toss. Add some oil, grated parmesan, and seasoning to the pasta and toss well, making sure every piece of pasta is coated.
3. Air fry. Working in batches, add the pasta to a lightly oiled air fryer basket and air fry on 400°F for 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until the pasta is golden brown and crisp.
4. Make some dips. You can make some dips from scratch or warm up some jarred tomato sauce for dipping.
5. Enjoy. Remove the pasta chips from the basket and let cool slightly, which will crisp them up some more. Dip, eat, and repeat!

Ingredients

• Pasta – You can use any kind of pasta you like but best would be larger pasta that you can grab onto and hold like a chip with some surface area for dipping.
• Oil – A neutral oil works best here, don’t go breaking out your super expensive extra virgin olive oil. I used grapeseed oil.
• Parmesan – Parmesan adds so much umami and cheesiness and it gets super crispy and crunchy too.
• Seasonings – Go wild and season to your heart’s delight. I kept it simple with parmesan and garlic. I have some more seasoning suggestions below.

What kind of pasta can I use for pasta chips?

Any large pasta that you can grab on to and use to scoop can be used. Here are some ideas:

• penne
• ziti
• rigatoni
• fusilli
• farfalle/bow ties
• paccheri
• shells
• scoobi-doo/cavatappi
• any unique shapes you find like this trottole:

Pasta chips seasonings

• Salt and pepper: season with salt and pepper to taste
• Spicy: 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne (pictured)
• Ginger garlic: 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• Italian: 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Ranch: 1 tsp each buttermilk powder, dried parsley, dried dill, and onion powder
• Everything bagel: 1 tablespoon everything bagel spice
• BBQ: 1 tsp each smoked paprika, onion powder, brown sugar, and garlic powder
• Sour cream and onion: 1 tsp each buttermilk powder, onion powder, and garlic powder

What kind of dip do I serve with pasta chips?

• Whipped ricotta – I LOVE whipped ricotta. SO fluffy, so creamy, and the BEST dip, especially with crunchies for dipping. To make it: place 3/4 cups whole milk ricotta in a food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Top it off with some roasted tomatoes and it’s amazing.
• Tomato sauce – I have an awesome recipe for pizza style tomato sauce here that would be perfect for dipping. You can also buy some of your favorite jarred sauce and heat it up.
• Pesto – Pesto and crispy pasta chips are a match made in heaven
• Bolognese – A little bit of meaty, savory bolognese
• Ranch – Homemade ranch is so much better than store bought but even store bought ranch is pretty darn good.

Pasta chips FAQ

I don’t have an air fryer, can I make pasta chips?

Yes, you can bake them in the oven at 400°F. They might not get as crispy, but they’ll still be crunchy and addictive.

Can I deep fry pasta?

Yup, if you want to break out a deep fryer or even just do pasta chips in a pot with oil, you can. Cook, drain very well, toss and season then lightly fry them in hot oil for 1-2 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Do they taste like raw pasta?

They kind of look like toasted raw pasta but these pasta chips don’t taste like raw pasta at all. They taste the the crunchy baked edges of lasagna.

My chips aren’t crunchy or crisp

You might need to air fry or bake them a bit longer. Be sure to toss or shake in between and let them cool down before snacking. They will crisp up a bit more after they cool.

What to serve with pasta chips

They taste great with dips!

• You can also serve them along side a charcuterie board 
• with some homemade garlic knots
• or another tiktok fave, baked feta pasta

Are pasta chips worth the hype?

YES! I just saw two opposing headlines right next to each other on google. One said that pasta chips are worthy and the other said that they’re not worth it. If you ask me, they are deliciously crunchy and absolutely worth the hype. It’s always interesting finding a new and different way to use ingredients and if you love the crunchy edges of baked pasta you’ll love pasta chips. Mike and I devoured our first batch. Mike was skeptical at first but he loved the crunch and the flavor. It’s a fun and quick snack and they’re super versatile, flavor wise. I think my favorite batch so far has been Tajin garlic parmesan used to scoop up creamy avocado crema. SO GOOD.

Pasta chip nachos

For the ultimate in pasta chip heaven, try pasta chip nachos. They’re like lasagna but in crunchy chip form.

1. Make your pasta chips, seasoning them with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
2. Whip up some ricotta and season it with salt and pepper. Warm up some tomato sauce.
3. When your pasta chips are ready, place them in a single layer on a sheet of foil in the air fryer. Top them with a layer of shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of parm then continue to layer the pasta chips and cheese, just like your making nachos. Air fry for 1-2 minutes at 370°F or until the cheese is melts.
4. Remove and enjoy dipping good cheesy pasta chips into the ricotta and warm tomato sauce!

Happy pasta chipping!