Unique starter or snack basket to serve to friends before a braai, during a big game or as a cocktail snack. It is really easy and the airfryer makes it super quick. I made my own marinara sauce, but if you in a hurry you can always buy a bottled sauce to serve alongside the pasta chips. A sauce is essential.
What you need?
- 3 cups of dried Fattis & Monis Bellissimo macaroni
- 1 cup parmesan powder (grated parmesan doesn’t work – I tried)
- Olive oil for drizzling
For the marinara sauce:
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of red wine
- 1 can diced and peeled tomatoes (400g)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon freshly diced basil
What to do?
- Start by making your sauce that it has enough time to simmer and intensify the flavor.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Add the wine and once evaporated, add the can of tomato and reduce to a simmer.
- Add the Italian herbs and garlic (see first picture below) and simmer.
- Once almost ready, add the basil and stir. Dish into a ramekin.
- The sauce makes quite a lot (as a whole can of tomatoes are used) but pop the rest in an airtight container and freeze to defrost for a quick week night pasta dinner.
- Boil the macaroni until al dente. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and toss the parmesan dust until all the macaroni is well coated.
- As the pasta is still relatively hot, only the dust sticks well. I did try grating a parmesan block and tossing that, however, the cheese melts and becomes a ball of goo instead of properly dispersing through all the macaroni’s.
- Once tossed and well coated. Add to the airfryer in batches until all the macaroni’s have been crisp up. Dish into a serving plate.
- Place the ramekin of serving sauce on the dish and indulge. It is a really fun and different way to enjoy pasta.
The photo above is half the pasta chips that the recipe makes.
