Do the pasta chips trending on TikTok live up to the hype? We made some

The latest cooking tip to go viral on TikTok is to bake or air-fry cooked pasta to turn it into chips to eat with dips.

It seems like a clever idea to use up those odds and ends of pasta in the pantry; those packets that don't contain enough noodles to make a meal, but seem like such a waste to throw away.

 It would also be a great way to use up the leftovers from a pot of cooked pasta.

Keen to find out if the crunchy snack tastes as good as it looks in the videos circulating on social media — or whether pasta chips just have the potential to break your teeth — Sunday Times Food editor Hilary Biller and cookbook author Jenny Kay had a bash at making some.

Here are their recipes and their thoughts on the results:

KAY CRACKED OUT THE AIR-FRYER

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

500ml (2 cups) cooked pasta — I used fusilli

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

60ml (4 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese

15ml (1 tbsp) zaatar spice — a Middle Eastern spice blend of dried oregano and thyme with sumac and sesame seeds 

Salt and pepper 

Method: 

1. Toss the pasta and olive oil together in a bowl. Add the Parmesan, zaatar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to mix well.
2. Cook in an air fryer on the chip setting for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is turning golden brown. Take care not to let the noodles get too dark or they will be hard when they cool.
3. Tip the pasta chips into a serving bowl and enjoy them on their own or with a dip.

THE VERDICT

• I love potato crisps and couldn't imagine that pasta chips could be as nice, though having said that I do enjoy the crunchy cheesy bits you get on top of a grilled mac and cheese.
• Just after my pasta chips came out of the air fryer, they weren't very crispy, but they tasted good and the zaatar flavour came through strongly. Once cooled, they became very crispy.
• I’m not sure I’m ready to give up potato crisps for pasta crisps yet, but the pasta version makes a nice change and would complement a Middle Eastern snack selection served with hummus.
• I'd rate the recipe 4/5.

BILLER TURNED ON THE OVEN

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

500ml (2 cups) cooked pasta — I used penne, but you can use any shape of pasta

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

15ml (1 tbsp) smoked chilli flakes, plus extra if needed — you can use any seasoning you fancy

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
2. Toss the pasta and olive oil together in a bowl. Add your chosen seasoning and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to mix well.
3. Place the pasta in a single layer on a baking tray; this is important for even roasting. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the tray from the oven, toss the pasta with a spoon and return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes, removing after 10 minutes to toss again. 
5. Transfer the pasta chips to a serving dish, taste for seasoning adding extra if needed, and serve warm. They can be eaten on their own or with a dip.

THE VERDICT

• I found the pasta roasted unevenly; the noodles on the outside of the baking tray were dry and crispy but those in the centre were soft.

• I used penne as I had some left over in the pantry, but pasta crisp pundits recommend using orecchiette (small round shapes with a slight dip in the centre). These would be more suitable as they are 'fleshier' and so wouldn't dry out as quickly; they're also good shape to carry a dip.
• It’s the kind of snack that must be eaten warm because as the pasta cools down it becomes very hard and has the texture of dried pasta. Beware of breaking your teeth.
• Would I make pasta chips again? No, it's too much bother for little return — give me a bag of potato crisps any day.
• I'd rate the recipe 2/5.