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Air fryer frittatine

Have you ever wanted to eat pasta for a quick dinner but discovered it to be too challenging to carry with you? Then look no farther than Naples’s favourite street meal! These pasta frittatine have an incredibly flavorful interior mixture bursting at the seams, and a crunchy, breadcrumb topping. It is possible to bite into it while holding it in your palm and moving! This Italian dish is often deep-fried in a thin batter, but we enjoy simplifying recipes, so we air-fried it first and then coated it in breadcrumbs, which gave it a delicious golden brown colour. Though these pasta frittatine are perfect for a quick lunch, I also enjoy chopping them into smaller rounds to serve as finger food for parties – the kids adore them.

Ingredients:

200g spagetti
50g butter
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour, plus extra 1/2 cup
500ml (2 cups) milk
100g sliced ham, chopped
110g (2/3 cup) frozen peas
80g (2/3 cup) grated mozzarella
50g (2/3 cup) finely grated parmesan
2 eggs
50g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Cook the 200g spaghetti till al dente, following the instructions on the package, in a big saucepan of boiling salted water. After draining, set away.
In the interim, use a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat to melt the 50g of butter. Stir in the additional 1/2 cup of flour together with the 50g (1/3 cup) of plain flour and heat for 1 minute. Gradually add the 500ml (2 cups) milk, stirring after each addition to ensure it is well blended. After adding all of the milk, simmer while stirring continuously. Simmer, stirring periodically, for three minutes. Take off the heat and add seasoning.
In a large bowl, mix spaghetti, 50g (2/3 cup) finely grated parmesan, 110g (2/3 cup) frozen peas and 80g (2/3 cup) sliced diced ham. After adding the white sauce, thoroughly incorporate with two large wooden spoons. Transfer mixture into a shallow dish (we used a 22cm square dish) so that it is about 2cm thick. To condense, use the back of a spoon to press. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least two hours until set.
Transfer the excess flour to a small bowl. In a different shallow bowl, whisk the two eggs. In a third shallow bowl, put the 50g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs. Cut circles (8 rounds total) from the spaghetti mixture using a 7cm cutter. Press leftover spaghetti mixture together and repeat to make two more rounds.
Working with one round at a time, coat in the flour, then dip in egg, allowing excess to drain. Coat in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to secure.
Meanwhile, preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 200°C.
Lightly mist rounds with olive oil. Cook, in two batches, until crisp and golden brown, about 7 minutes, flipping halfway through (see note). Warm up and serve.

What are frittatine

In essence, pasta frittatina, also known as frittatina di pasta, is a deep-fried spaghetti omelette loaded with a variety of delectable toppings. Unlike English, Italian words do not finish in a “s” when they are plural. When a word, like frittatina, ends in a “a,” the plural form ends in a “e,” which is why we spell it somewhat differently depending on whether we’re talking about the singular or plural of this delectable dish.

How do I make sure my frittatine cook evenly?

It’s crucial to avoid packing your air fryer too full. Depending on how big your air fryer basket is, you might need to make multiple batches. Make sure every round has ample room to cool completely. I make an effort to spacing out each frittata by at least one inch.

Can I use other fillings?

These spaghetti frittatine are fantastic since you can tailor the ingredients to your heart’s content! I recommend keeping at least one type of cheese in it to get those delicious, stringy, cheesy pulls. If you’re looking to turn it vegetarian, take out the ham and try capsicum! I’ve also made these with tomatoes and artichokes!