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 In fact, TikTok was barely in existence when I originally made this for Snack vs. Chef.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.

How to Choose the Right Equipment for Deep-Frying

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.