I Tried The Viral TikTok Recipe For Pasta Chips And I’m Hooked

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved the crunchy, well-done pasta pieces that can be found at the corner of a lasagna, or on the edge of a baked ziti. Once my mother made a pasta pie which consisted of spaghetti, sauce, meat, and cheese and was baked off in a pie pan.

I loved it because there were so many crispy edges with crunchy pasta and caramelized cheese.

So, when I saw the recipe for Pasta Chips that was going bonkers on TikTok I felt validated because I know there are those out there who turn their nose up at the well done pasta shapes in any kind of casserole.

Also, I was kind of pissed that I hadn’t thought of it first. Now I don’t have to wait to make an entire recipe to get the satisfying chew that comes from pasta because a whole plate of these yummy snacks can be made in about a half hour.

The recipe is simple and can be made to fit your taste buds by adding different spices and cheeses. I also found it was such a great way to satisfy those salt cravings so, the next time I get a case of PMS, I’ll be making this (and not sharing) for sure.

First, you boil your favorite pasta shape. I used ziti because any kind of pasta you can grab and dip will do.

When it’s done cooking, make sure it’s nice and dry. I patted mine off with a dish towel and it was good to go.

Now, here’s the fun part:

Coat your pasta with olive oil (use lots!) and add your spices here. You can grab Italian seasoning, Oregano, Basil, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, lemon pepper — the options are endless.

Then, add some Parmesan cheese. Don’t be shy. You want your pasta to have lots of flavor.

Now, you can either air fry your coated pasta, or heat your oven to 400 F and bake for 20 minutes.

I don’t have an air fryer, so I used the oven method and it worked like a charm. In fact, because I slathered on the oil and cheese, it tasted like my pasta was fried.

When it’s done baking or frying, you can add some grated mozzarella cheese and top with freshly chopped herbs if you want to get fancy (which I’m totally going to do next time).

This would be a great addition to any Italian meal as an appetizer — and the dips are where people are where people are getting super fancy.

I used tomato sauce, which was all I had on hand and I loved that. I’m also a fan of ranch and blue cheese dressing with my pizza and think they would both be great dips for this.

People are loving the whipped feta dip, which combines four ounces of feta, two ounces of Greek yogurt, two tablespoons of olive oil, and a garlic clove and mixing it in the food processor until it’s light and fluffy.

I absolutely loved this recipe — it was like enjoying a plate of Italian nachos. My kids loved them too, which surprised me because while they love their pasta, they don’t like caramelized cheese or well done pasta. They call it burned and can’t even stand the sight of me eating it.

They especially loved the red pepper flakes which makes sense, because our teens seem to love all hot stuff available these days (looking at you, Hot Cheetos and Takis).

If you are a skeptic and don’t think you will like your pasta fried and coated with cheese and spices you have to try it anyway because I’d be willing to bet you will be pleasantly surprised at how good this really is. Not to mention easy; you probably have a lot of the ingredients on hand in your pantry.

The best part about pasta chips? I now know what to do with the leftover pasta when we have a pasta night. I usually make a batch of pasta and let my kids put all what they want on their own plate since they all have different favorite pasta toppings.

My oldest loves sauce and meat, while my daughter and son only like butter and Parmesan cheese.

I can’t tell you how many containers of old pasta I’ve thrown away because they’ve been sitting in the fridge in hopes someone would warm them up. And, of course, no one ever does.

Those days are over. Now one night we will have pasta, and the next day I’ll bake off the rest in the oven and set out a plate of pasta chips that will probably only last for about five minutes. No waste, all taste.