Italian recipe

Cheesy Pasta in the Air Fryer

A super-quick layered cheese pasta bake with roasted bell peppers, made entirely in the air fryer.

Did you know? An air fryer doesn’t fry at all. It’s a small, powerful fan oven, and Philips launched the first one in 2010. Read my story →
VegetarianVegPasta bakeAir fryer⏱ ~25 minFor 2 handfuls of pasta▶ Subscribe on YouTube
Tick items off as you go2 handfuls of pasta

Roasted peppers

  • a fewbell peppers (I use the long ones), cut bite-sized
  • to tastesalt and crushed black pepper
  • 1 tbspolive oil
  • a tiny bitchilli powder (optional, for extra spice)

Pasta

  • 2 handfulswhole-wheat fusilli
  • generoussalt for the boiling water
  • enough to coatarrabbiata sauce (or tomato purée)

Cheese layers

  • a good amountTex-Mex grated cheese (white & red cheddar)
  • a few slicesmozzarella
  • someGruyère
  • a little extracheddar for the top
  1. 1
    Prep the peppers. Wash and cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces.
  2. 2
    Season. Add salt, crushed black pepper, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a tiny bit of chilli powder. Mix well.
  3. 3
    Into the basket. Transfer to the air fryer basket and spread them out evenly.
  4. 4
    Air fry the peppers. 8 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
  5. 5
    Boil the pasta meanwhile. Bring water to a boil, add a generous amount of salt, then two handfuls of fusilli. Stir from time to time.
  6. 6
    Shake the peppers. After 8 minutes, give the basket a good shake and air fry for another 4 minutes at 180°C.
  7. 7
    Drain the pasta al dente. Slightly firm, not too soft, because it cooks again in the air fryer.
  8. 8
    Sauce it. Mix the pasta with arrabbiata sauce, or tomato purée if you prefer something milder.
  9. 9
    Mix in the cheese and layer. Stir the Tex-Mex cheese through the pasta, then spread it over the roasted peppers in the basket.
  10. 10
    Top it. Add mozzarella slices for stretch, Gruyère for a nutty, golden top, and a little more cheddar.
  11. 11
    Bake. Back into the air fryer for 7 more minutes, until bubbling with golden, crispy edges.

Air fryer tips from the video

Don't overfill the basket. Fill it only about halfway, leaving plenty of space between the food and the heating element.
Skip parchment and foil. They restrict the air flow.
Spread and shake. Spread the peppers evenly and shake halfway so they roast, not steam.
Cook the pasta al dente. It keeps cooking in the air fryer, so slightly firm is perfect.
Not a fan of arrabbiata? Swap it for plain tomato purée.

💡 Extra tips, not in the video Bonus tips

Mix your cheeses: use one for stretch (mozzarella) and one that browns (Gruyère or parmesan) on top.
Add greens: a handful of spinach stirred into the hot pasta wilts in nicely.
Leftovers: reheat in the air fryer for 3–4 minutes to crisp the top again.
The story behind the dish

A lunchtime experiment with Swiss cheese

This recipe started as an experiment: I wanted a super-quick meal at lunchtime. I had bell peppers and pasta, and a bunch of cheeses in the fridge.

Living in Switzerland, there are so many varieties of cheese to choose from, and in the French-speaking part, Gruyère is the standard. So I tried it with mozzarella and Gruyère together, and it was so good that it became one of my go-to hacks for quick lunches.

You can also add some Parmesan, by the way.

Curry++ · 6 November 2026

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