Chef notes
Once I came across the recent internet obsession with "pasta chips," I was instantly inspired to bring my biggest nacho dream to life — lasagna nachos, with all the fixings. It's not every day that you're able to enjoy an Italian classic in the form of nachos, but thanks to this tasty TikTok hack, you can enjoy this recipe any day of the week. This crispy and saucy nacho dish is perfect for the days when you feel like changing up your usual weeknight dinner or want to impress dinner guests. Not only is this recipe incredibly straightforward, there's also tons of room to be flexible, as it is fully customizable to your preferences.
Technique tip: This recipe is perfect to make on your fridge clean-out days. Load up your nachos with additional vegetables, cheeses, condiments and herbs that are near expiration to avoid food waste.
Swap option: To make the meat sauce vegetarian, switch out the ground meat for plant-based crumbles, crumbled tofu or additional chopped portobello mushrooms.
Special equipment: All you need for this recipe is an air fryer.
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella pearls, sliced
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, thyme or rosemary
Preparation
For the fried pasta:
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles in and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside.
2.Cut the lasagna noodles into fourths or bite-sized pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl and toss the noodles with Parmesan, olive oil, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic and ground black pepper.
3.Place the noodles in the air fryer basket in an even layer. Cook at 400 F for 10 minutes. Repeat this step until all of the noodles are crispy and golden-brown.
For the meat sauce:
Place a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add in the onions, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then add in the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat into crumbles using the back of a spoon.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, basil and parsley. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Once finished cooking, season to taste and set aside.
For the sautéed vegetables:
Place a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Place the vegetables in and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once finished cooking, remove from the pan and set aside.
To assemble:
To serve, evenly spread the fried noodles on a large platter and top with the meat sauce, sautéed vegetables, mozzarella pearls, small dollops of ricotta cheese, balsamic glaze and chopped herbs.
