Ditalini with Air-Fried Veggies (Printable Version)

Tender ditalini pasta paired with crisp air-fried vegetables and a zesty olive oil dressing.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz ditalini pasta
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 small zucchini, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, chopped
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 cup broccoli florets
08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
10 - ½ tsp salt
11 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Dressing & Finish

12 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley
15 - Zest of ½ lemon
16 - Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, combine zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli with olive oil, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Toss well to coat.
03 - Place the vegetables in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
04 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ditalini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
05 - In a large serving bowl, mix the drained pasta with the air-fried vegetables. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, add Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and fresh basil or parsley. Toss together, adding reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired moisture.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm, topped with additional Parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It rescues forgotten vegetables from the back of your fridge and turns them into something you actually want to eat.
  • The air fryer gives you caramelized edges without heating up the whole kitchen or hovering over a skillet.
  • You can have dinner on the table in half an hour, and it tastes like you spent twice that long.
02 -
  • Do not skip shaking the air fryer basket halfway through, or you'll end up with some vegetables perfectly crispy and others still pale and soft.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, because once it's gone down the sink, there's no getting it back and you'll miss the creaminess it brings.
03 -
  • If your air fryer is small, cook the vegetables in two batches so they crisp up instead of steaming on top of each other.
  • Add the lemon zest at the very end so it stays bright and fragrant, not cooked out and dull.
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