Easy air fryer pasta chips that took over TikTok, how to make them and the shape that's selling out
Foodies on TikTok and Instagram are raving about an unexpectedly tasty new snack -- pasta chips. From farfalle to rigatoni, it's all fair game for this easy-to-master trend.
With so many recipes that utilize the swirling convection heat of an air fryer, this quick-and-easy one that transforms cooked, seasoned pasta into a crispy, dunkable bite has exploded in popularity.
The short-form video platform has millions watching and trying their hand at the viral dish in which cooks distill a roughly 20-minute recipe into a 15-to-30-second clip. Each follows this similar formula: boil water; cook and strain pasta; dry and season with preferred ingredients; namely olive oil, lots of parmesan cheese and preferred spices or herbs; pop it in a 400-degree air fryer, tossing occasionally; and, once crispy and golden, serve with a simple dip or sauce such as marinara and enjoy the satisfying, ASMR-inducing crunch.
Since the trend kicked off, sales of one shape in particular have flown off store shelves.
Online grocery shopping service Instacart showed that earlier this month rigatoni pasta saw significant week-over-week sales growth, +46%, as the air-fryer pasta chips started to spike online.
The company's trends expert, Laurentia Romaniuk, told "GMA," that despite it being a common pantry staple nationwide, "the recent growth we’ve seen for rigatoni is out of the ordinary and is very likely due to the rising popularity of TikTok’s Pasta Chips, which has nearly 700 million views on TikTok."
Plus, Romaniuk added that in the wake of the viral baked feta pasta earlier this year, Instacart "noticed the food trends that seem to take off are easy to make, include ingredients you might already have in your pantry, and classify as a comfort food."
Take it from Feel Good Foodie founder and creator Yumna Jawad, who told "Good Morning America" that pasta chips "may be one of the most fascinating" food trends to date.
"I've been on TikTok for almost two years and I've tried so many trends. This one may be one of the most fascinating ones because you are essentially taking something crunchy, making it soft and then making it crunchy again. And it looks like everyone is biting into crunchy raw pasta. But instead it's actually crispy, airy and absolutely addicting!" she said.
The Michigan-based "healthy-ish" recipe developer shared the short clip of how to make her version that garnered more than 13 million views on TikTok alone. (Psst, you can see her full recipe here.)
The hashtag on the popular social media platform has notched 38 million views, so here are a few more top videos to check out other riffs on the crispy snack.
One of the top, hugely popular TikTok food creators, Nick DiGiovanni, tackled the trend using deep fryer.
"After testing an original version with marinara sauce, I decided to make a version with a whipped feta dip," she said of the dish featuring another viral ingredient. "Next, I'm working on a couple iterations including salt and vinegar, and buffalo! This is one trend that everyone needs to try because it's fun, versatile and absolutely delicious."
If you tackle this food trend or have your own riff on the recipe, share it with us by tagging "GMA" on Instagram, Twitter or TikTok and hashtag GMAFood.
