Air Fryer Pasta Gnocchi (Printer-friendly)

Golden, crunchy pasta shells tossed in herbs and spices, cooked to crisp perfection with air fryer.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz medium pasta shells (conchiglie), cooked al dente

→ Oil & Seasonings

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
04 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, or thyme)
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional for Serving

08 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
09 - Fresh parsley, chopped
10 - Marinara sauce for dipping

# How-To Steps:

01 - Boil pasta shells in a large pot of salted water until just al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to halt cooking, then thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta shells with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried Italian herbs, sea salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
04 - Place the pasta shells in a single layer in the air fryer basket, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
05 - Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the shells are crisp and golden brown.
06 - Transfer to a serving bowl. While still hot, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately with marinara sauce for dipping.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It turns plain pasta into something crunchy and totally addictive without any deep frying or messy oil splatters.
  • You can season it a thousand different ways depending on what you have in the cupboard or what mood you are in.
  • It works as a snack, a side, a salad topper, or even a sneaky way to get kids to eat their carbs without complaining.
  • The whole thing takes less than half an hour from start to finish, and most of that is just the air fryer doing its thing.
02 -
  • Drying the cooked pasta thoroughly is non negotiable, I learned this the hard way after my first batch came out chewy instead of crispy because I skipped the paper towel step.
  • Do not overcrowd the basket, even if it feels like a hassle to work in batches, because cramming them in will give you uneven results and some shells will stay soft while others burn.
  • Toss the Parmesan on immediately after air frying so it gets a little melty and sticks to the shells instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
  • If your air fryer runs hot, check the shells a minute or two early because the line between golden and burnt is thinner than you think.
  • Save any broken or smaller shells from the pasta box for this recipe, they crisp up even faster and make perfect bite sized snacks.
  • Use avocado oil instead of olive oil if you want a higher smoke point and a slightly cleaner flavor that lets the seasonings shine through even more.
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