Air Fryer Pasta Bake (easy recipe)

This is the easiest Air Fryer Pasta Bake recipe that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Simply cook your favourite pasta, mix with pasta sauce, top with cheese and cook in the air fryer.

It is prepared with simple ingredients just like my One Pot Ricotta and Lemon Pasta.

If you’re wondering whether you can cook pasta bake in the air fryer? Let me tell you that you absolutely can and even in less time than oven baking thanks to the air fryer method!

Imagine a hearty pasta casserole topped with gooey cheese. Yum! Have you tried cooking your Vegetarian Eggplant Parmigiana in the air fryer? Or maybe this creamy Air Fryer Cauliflower Cheese?

This is a great recipe for the whole family and a great option for a quick dinner. It is budget-friendly and easily customised to suit dietary needs.

I love that this pasta casserole recipe is super versatile and you can prep as little or as much as you want. I always use a homemade pasta sauce and cheese sauce but both are easily available in supermarkets and would drastically reduce the time.

The air fryer works by circulating hot air and crisps up the exterior of food.

This recipe is particularly useful if you are making pasta for lunch or to serve 2 for a main meal. No need to turn on the oven for and the cooking time is reduced.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Pasta Bake (cheese and tomato)

Full recipe with measurements can be found in the recipe card below where you can also leave a star rating

Pasta

The type of pasta you use is up to you. I like to use penne, rigatoni, elbow pasta or shells as they hold the most sauce however flat shapes like bowtie pasta are also fine to use.

You can make Air Fryer Baked Spaghetti if you use spaghetti instead of pasta shapes.

Gluten free pasta – for a healthy meal high in protein and gluten-free, use lentil pasta. I used lentil pasta to make these Tik Tok Air Fryer Pasta Chips. These crunchy pasta chips make for an healthy and easy snack instead of potato chips.

Pasta sauce – I have used sundried tomato and olive pasta sauce that I prepared in my Instant Pot

You can use store bought or my homemade marinara sauce

White sauce – you can buy store-bought bechamel sauce or make your own homemade cheese sauce

Alternatively, mix in cream cheese with the red sauce

Cheese – I have used cheddar cheese. Other options include mozzarella, red leicester, parmesan cheese to name a few. You can also use vegan cheese.

Seasoning – I have used Italian seasoning. You may want to add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper for extra flavor

Variations

You may want to add in chopped vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, aubergine or squash. Before adding to the dish, sauté in a frying pan with a little olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

How to make Pasta Bake in Air Fryer

I have used the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer but you can use any other.

Start by cooking the pasta until just al dente as it will continue to cook in the air fryer.

Mix the cooked pasta with your choice of pasta sauce. I mixed tomato pasta sauce with a homemade cheese sauce.

Add any extras such as cooked veggies and/or seasoning.

Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Which baking dish you use will depend on the size of your air fryer.

Top with plenty of grated cheese.

Place the baking dish in the air fryer basket.

Air Fryer at 180C or 360F for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and is golden brown and bubbling.

The pasta bake time will vary based on size of your casserole dish and air fryer model.

As a rule of thumb, I suggest starting from 8 minutes and upwards for any pasta dishes for example Air Fryer Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Serving Suggestions

I love pasta for a quick lunch or dinner. A simple side salad would go great but you could also try this Tuscan White Bean Panzanella or Grilled Zucchini Ribbon Salad

This delicious Red Grape, Rosemary and Goat’s Cheese Focaccia works wonders as a side.

To get some protein into your meal, try this Chickpea salad with creamy avocado dressing

A batch of air fryer breaded mushrooms or air fryer avocado slices or air fryer cauliflower also make a great side.

For a low carb side, try these crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Courgette Fries).

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also prepare this pasta bake in advance and either keep in the fridge or freezer prior to cooking.

Cooked pasta bake can be frozen and reheated directly from frozen. Simply cover with foil and either cook in the air fryer or the oven until piping hot through.

Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Baked Potato (Microwave first). Jacket Potatoes are first cooked in the microwave to make them soft and fluffy then air fried for crispy skin

Air Fryer Frozen Spring Rolls. Make crispy spring rolls from frozen. An easy snack that doesn’t require deep-frying.

Air Fryer Garlic Fries. Crispy fries are so easy to prepare in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Chestnuts. A great recipe for the holidays. I use my cooked chestnuts in Chestnut Hummus

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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