Air Fryer Baked Spaghetti
Description
A cheesy, layered pasta bake with golden mozzarella, creamy ricotta, and crispy spaghetti tips — ready in 22 minutes in your air fryer.
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb ground beef, or Italian sausage, optional
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil.
- Brown beef or sausage in a skillet; drain fat. Add onion, cook 3 minutes; add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add marinara and seasonings; simmer 5 minutes.
- Whisk ricotta with egg and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Toss spaghetti with two-thirds of the sauce, reserving the rest.
- Grease a 7-inch round cake pan. Layer: half the spaghetti, all the ricotta mixture, ½ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, remaining spaghetti, reserved sauce, remaining mozzarella, remaining Parmesan.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F for 3 minutes. Air fry for 12 minutes until cheese is deeply golden and edges bubble.
- Rest 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Equipment
- Baking Pan
- Cooking Spray
Notes
- For leftover spaghetti: skip step 1, bring pasta to room temperature, add 2–3 tablespoons extra sauce, cook 8 minutes first then add top mozzarella and cook 4 more minutes.
- Pan size: 6–8 inch round cake pan or 7-inch square; must fit in your air fryer basket with ½ inch clearance.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze unbaked up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 32gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 960mgPotassium: 697mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1071IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 464mgIron: 3mg