Pasta Chips

I love snacks and I love pasta. And, I think pasta is a standout snack any time of the day, but not everyone agrees. When faced with the decision of creating any original snack on Netflix’s debut season of Snack vs. Chef, I was at a loss. That’s a huge ask because it’s hard to think of what doesn’t already exist.

How a Snack is Born

I longed for a big bowl of rigatoni to noodle it over. I grew my career in Italian kitchens, but found a love in making pasta from scratch during the pandemic. My obsession with pasta and need to come up with a creative snack came together in a fateful moment, and just like that a snack was born.

My thought process was to showcase the various noodle dishes around the world, shedding a light on more traditional flavors and noodle shapes that may be unfamiliar to most. I want amatriciana sauce to be as well-known as spaghetti and meatballs. I want everyone to travel through their taste buds with a curiosity for more whether that’s exploring bold flavors or noodle possibilities.

How to Make Pasta Chips

Forget about the air fryer pasta chip trend. In fact, TikTok was barely in existence when I originally made this for Snack vs. Chef. This recipe deep-fries fresh pasta dough before it gets a bath in a rich seasoning blend for a snack-sized meal in your mouth.

The dough comes together quickly like a traditional pasta dough. The addition of baking powder creates air bubbles during the frying stage for the ideal crunch. The shape is up to you whether that’s hand-formed like a farfalle or extruded like bucatini nests.

Season to Perfection

In the recipe, I provide a quick seasoning blend of pungent Italian flavors, but you can toss these bundles in whatever spices you like or have on hand.

Recipe Tips

This recipe is open-ended in terms of the pasta shape. You can make little nests of spaghetti or linguine, simple hand-formed shapes like farfalle, or extruded shapes like penne or bucatini.
When rolling out the pasta dough, if it is very springy or difficult to roll out let it rest for an extra 10 minutes to allow the gluten in the dough to relax.
Baking powder is not typical in a pasta dough recipe, but this addition creates tiny bubbles in the dough as the pasta fries, resulting in a light and extra crisp texture.
If the pasta sticks together after shaping, sprinkle it with a little flour but be careful not to add too much as it can burn or create an unpleasant grainy residue when fried.

“These seasoned pasta chips were almost as much fun to make as they were to eat! The pasta dough worked beautifully and the Italian flavors were on point. I used a pasta roller and made farfalle, and the fried and seasoned chips came out crunchy and perfectly flavored. These pasta chips are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them!” —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

4 1/3 cups (490 grams) whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
1 1/4 cups water
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the water to the well.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of the dough and drop into a pasta extruder attached to a stand mixer fitted with the spaghetti accessory. As the pasta is coming out of the extruder, cut off 4-inch segments of the pasta at a time, then lay pasta in nest bundles on the prepared baking sheet.

Alternatively, lightly flour a countertop. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and covering the remaining pieces with plastic wrap, roll out by hand as thinly as possible or use a pasta roller to roll the dough into thin sheets. Form the dough into any shape of your choosing.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Add enough oil to a large saucepan over medium heat to come 1 inch up the sides. Heat the oil to 350 F.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
While the oil comes to temperature, stir together the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, celery salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Set aside.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Fry the pasta in batches until golden brown, flipping occasionally, about 2 minutes. Avoid crowding the pan, and allow the oil to come back up to temperature before frying the next batch.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the fried pasta bundles to a wire rack to drain briefly.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Toss the still-warm fried pasta in the seasoning blend in a medium bowl. Place back on the rack and let cool completely for 5 minutes.

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck