Pin There's something wonderfully unselfconscious about weeknight cooking that hits different than carefully planned meals. One Tuesday evening, I opened my fridge to a half-empty vegetable drawer and realized I had exactly what I needed for something bright and quick—no recipe hunting required. Ditalini with air-fried vegetables became my answer to the question every cook asks: what can I make with what's actually here? The air fryer turned modest scraps into something so appealing that my family asked for it again the next week.
I made this for friends last spring when someone brought over a bunch of cherry tomatoes from their garden, along with an apology for the surplus. We stood in my kitchen chopping while they talked about their gardening experiments, and I tossed everything into the air fryer almost without thinking. When we sat down to eat, the conversation shifted—nobody was talking about their gardens anymore, just asking for seconds and wondering aloud why we don't cook together more often.
Ingredients
- Ditalini pasta (350 g): Those little tubes catch sauce and dressing beautifully, and they're small enough to feel delicate rather than heavy even when tossed with vegetables.
- Zucchini, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli: This mix gives you texture variety—some vegetables get soft, others stay slightly firm—but swap freely for carrots, eggplant, asparagus, or mushrooms depending on what you have.
- Olive oil for cooking (2 tbsp): Keeps vegetables from sticking and helps them brown in the hot air fryer.
- Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper: Simple seasoning that lets the vegetables taste like themselves, just enhanced.
- Extra-virgin olive oil for finishing (2 tbsp): This is where quality matters—a good one tastes alive on your palate and ties everything together.
- Parmesan cheese (2 tbsp grated): Adds richness and a salty note that makes you want another bite; leave it out for vegan cooking and the dish still works beautifully.
- Fresh basil or parsley, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes: These final touches wake everything up and make it taste like you spent more time on it than you did.
Instructions
- Heat your air fryer:
- Set it to 200°C (400°F) while you prep your vegetables—this takes about 3 minutes and ensures everything cooks evenly from the moment it hits the basket.
- Coat the vegetables:
- Toss your chopped vegetables with olive oil, dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, making sure everything gets lightly coated. This is easier than it sounds and takes less than a minute.
- Air fry until golden:
- Spread vegetables in a single layer in the basket—don't crowd them or they'll steam instead of crisp—and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. You're looking for tender flesh with browned edges where the vegetables have caught the heat.
- Cook the pasta simultaneously:
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook ditalini to al dente according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out and reserve about half a cup of the starchy cooking water—you'll use it to adjust texture at the end.
- Bring it all together:
- Combine the drained pasta and air-fried vegetables in a large bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, scatter Parmesan and lemon zest across the top, and toss gently. Add fresh herbs and a pinch of reserved pasta water, tasting as you go until the texture feels right.
- Taste and serve:
- Adjust salt and pepper one more time, then transfer to plates or a serving bowl, finishing with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes if you want that final heat.
Pin The first time my teenage daughter made this without asking for help, I realized it had become the kind of dish that lives in your hands, familiar enough to trust but interesting enough to think about. She arranged everything so carefully in the air fryer basket, and when it came out golden and steaming, she tasted it and smiled—not the performance of a teenager trying to please a parent, but a genuine moment of quiet satisfaction with something she'd made.
Making It Your Own
The beauty of this recipe is that it adapts to whatever season you're in and whatever your vegetable drawer contains. In summer, load it with zucchini, bell peppers, and those endless cherry tomatoes; in fall, add cubed butternut squash or thin asparagus spears. Winter calls for root vegetables like carrots or parsnips cut small enough to cook through, and mushrooms work year-round if you have them. The only rule that matters is using vegetables you actually want to eat—there's no virtue in cooking something you won't enjoy.
Protein Additions
This dish stands perfectly well on its own, but it also welcomes company if you want something more substantial. A handful of cooked chickpeas or white beans stirred in at the end adds protein without changing the character of the meal, and both are equally good served warm or at room temperature. If you eat fish, flaked tuna or a simple grilled fish fillet on the side transforms it into something more formal without requiring extra cooking.
What to Drink and When to Serve It
A crisp Italian white wine like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino feels natural alongside this, but honestly it's equally happy with sparkling water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve it warm straight from the stove, at room temperature the next day with a fresh taste of lemon zest stirred through, or even slightly chilled if you've refrigerated leftovers and want something lighter. It's the kind of dish that adapts to whatever moment you're eating it in.
- If you make this ahead, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days and refresh it with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
- Leftover vegetables from the air fryer can be tossed into salads, grain bowls, or eaten straight from the fridge as snacks the next day.
- For a vegan version, simply omit the Parmesan or replace it with nutritional yeast, which adds umami without any animal products.
Pin This recipe proves that the best meals aren't always the ones that take hours or require ingredients from three different stores. Sometimes they're just the ones that use what's in front of you, cooked with a little attention and finished with generosity.
Recipe FAQ
- → What pasta type is best for this dish?
Ditalini pasta is preferred for its small tubular shape, which holds dressing and vegetables well.
- → Can I use other vegetables in place of the suggested ones?
Yes, feel free to use carrots, eggplant, asparagus, mushrooms, or any other vegetables you have on hand.
- → How do I ensure the vegetables cook evenly in the air fryer?
Toss vegetables in olive oil and spices, arrange them in a single layer, and shake the basket halfway through cooking to promote even browning.
- → What is the best way to keep the pasta moist when mixing?
Reserve some pasta cooking water and add it gradually while tossing to achieve the desired moisture level.
- → Can I make this dish vegan?
Yes, simply omit the Parmesan cheese or substitute it with a plant-based alternative for a vegan-friendly option.