1. Can you put aluminium foil in an air fryer?

Both aluminium foil and parchment paper are perfectly safe to be used in air fryer. This is what makes using an air fryer to bake really simple, quick, and hassle free. The rule of thumb to keep in mind here is that if something is safe to go inside an oven, then it is safe to be used in an air fryer too.

2. Can you bake this in an oven?

Absolutely! If you don’t have an air fryer, you can easily make this baked pasta in an oven. Keep in mind though, that air fryers cook much faster than ovens, so the cook time may vary. But the results will be just as delicious.

Air Fryer Baked Pasta | No Boil Baked Pasta

An amazing, cheesy, saucy one pot air fryer baked pasta that’s super easy and fast to put together. No need to boil the pasta separately, and it all comes together in an air fryer. Quick, easy, and delicious!

Closeup of air fryer baked pasta in red sauce being eaten with a fork

Looking for more Pasta recipes? Try my Instant Pot Pasta in Red Sauce, Tomato Basil Pasta (15 minutes), One Pot Vegetable Pasta – only 20 minutes to dinner or White Sauce Pasta with Vegetables!

There’s so many pasta recipe variations out there in terms of flavour combinations, shapes, etc, but not so many in terms of cooking techniques.

This Baked Pasta is different – it’s a no-boil, one-pan air fryer recipe that offers maximum convenience. Perfect for busy mornings when prepping a tiffin or for lunch between meetings. This is one of those recipes that you’ll keep coming back to.

If you’re thinking … no boil? How does that work? Let me explain: we add water along with the sauce when baking and this cooks the pasta to perfection. You just have to try this!

a smiling woman holding a plate of fries and standing next to an air fryer with text overlay

Ingredients For Air Fryer Baked Pasta

Picture of all the ingredients required for the air fryer baked pasta with text to identify them

Ingredients:
- Melted Butter and Oil – a combination of both to make sure our pasta is super moist
- Seasonings – chilli flakes, oregano, finely chopped garlic (the golden trio)
- Chopped Veggies – I used capsicum and mushroom but you can use any on hand!
- Raw Fusili Pasta – you can use any shape that conveniently fits into a baking dish, but NOTE that we will be using raw pasta for this recipe, so you don’t have to boil it beforehand. Also, the baking time may change based on the shape of the pasta.
- Red Pasta Sauce – I use store-bought tomato pasta sauce (my fave is: Barilla Pasta sauce) but you can use homemade tomato sauce too
- Water – the KEY ingredient to this pasta bake! Since we are using raw pasta, we need to add water to the sauce to make sure the pasta is fully cooked through
- Grated Mozarella Cheese & Basil Leaves – for the final touch, a baked cheesy crust & herb topping
Materials:
- Aluminium Foil – super important, and my top trick is to line the base of the baking dish with foil too so it’s secure and doesn’t blow off in the air fryer. We don’t want to burn or overcook our pasta, we want to cook it till it’s perfectly moist
- Baking Dish – make sure to use a size that fits inside your Air Fryer. I use a 7 inch round pan
- Air Fryer – I use the Nutricook 5.5L Air Fryer

Richa’s Top Tips

Before baking, make sure that the pasta is fully submerged in the water sauce mixture.
If the pasta feels dry after baking, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix through before baking again with the cheese topping.
If you want to store the pasta for later, wrap the dish with cling film and refrigerate. When it’s time to serve, bring the dish back to room temperature and melt the cheese with a final bake.

How to make Air Fryer Baked Pasta

Here’s a step-by-step collage showing you how to make air fryer baked pasta:

1. Add butter, oil, chilli flakes, oregano seasoning, garlic, capsicum, mushroom, raw pasta, red pasta sauce, salt, pepper and sugar to a 7-inch round pan and mix. Ensure the pan is Air Fryer friendly, I’ve used a glass pan.

2. Add water and mix lightly. Ensure the pasta is submerged under the water.

3. Wrap the pan with aluminium foil, and cover the base as well so it is more secure. Covering only the rim with foil might cause it to come off in the air fryer.

4. Bake at 180C for 45 minutes. Uncover the foil, and mix well.

5. If the pasta feels dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix. You can adjust it according to your preference!

6. Sprinkle cheese and chopped basil on top and bake at 200C for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve immediately! If you want to store it for later, cover it with cling film and refrigerate. Bring it back to room temperature and melt the cheese right before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Red sauce pasta made in an air fryer served in a white bowl with melted cheese and basil on top

Once you try this technique of cooking pasta, you’ll come back to it again and again for sure. It’s just so convenient with no compromise on taste and texture. I’d love to see your recreations of this baked no-boil pasta, so send me your recreations over on my IG @my_foodstory or tag me on your stories!!

I’ll be posting more such quick and easy Air Fryer recipes – stay tuned

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