Ditalini with Air-Fried Vegetables (Printable)

A quick dish featuring tender ditalini pasta and crisp air-fried vegetables dressed with olive oil and herbs.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz ditalini pasta
02 - Salt, to taste 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 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - ½ teaspoon salt
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Dressing & Finish

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

# Steps:

01 - Set air fryer to 400°F (200°C) and allow to preheat.
02 - In a large bowl, toss zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli with 2 tablespoons olive oil, dried Italian herbs, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Place vegetables in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
04 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add ditalini and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
05 - In a large serving bowl, combine the drained pasta and air-fried vegetables. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, add Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and chopped basil or parsley. Toss gently, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with extra Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in about half an hour, and most of it happens while you wait.
  • You can use up whatever vegetables are sitting in your crisper drawer before they go bad.
  • The air fryer gives you caramelized edges without heating up the whole kitchen.
  • It tastes like a restaurant dish but uses pantry staples and simple techniques.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or the vegetables will steam instead of roast, and you'll lose that caramelized flavor.
  • Save some pasta water before draining because it's the secret to making the dressing silky and helping it stick to the pasta.
  • Toss everything while the pasta is still hot so the Parmesan melts slightly and everything absorbs the flavors.
03 -
  • If your air fryer is small, cook the vegetables in two batches so they have room to crisp up properly.
  • Use the best extra-virgin olive oil you have for the final drizzle because that's where you'll really taste it.
  • A microplane grater for the lemon zest and Parmesan will give you finer, more evenly distributed flavor than a regular grater.
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