Cacio e Pepe Air Fryer Gnocchi Bites
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Meet my newest appetizer obsession! These air fryer gnocchi bites are tossed with Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) and lots of black pepper for cacio e pepe vibes, and they come together in 20 minutes. All you need is an air fryer, which makes these super crispy with no actual frying required. Serve them with roasted tomato sauce or my homemade lemony pesto and watch them disappear!
Hellooo! I am currently crawling out of my post-vacation slump, where I don’t know what day it is, and I haven’t had a glass of water in 2.5 weeks. But worry not, because I did, in fact, eat a vegetable and I even washed my hair. So all is well, I guess!
Anyways, now that we’re back, summer entertaining is in full swing. And since my vibes are high (thanks, Europe!) but my motivation is low (no thanks, Europe!), I’m coming back with probably the easiest appetizer of all time.
I’m one of those people who hyperfixates on a certain type of food for months at a time. Right now, it’s pasta. Like, it’s all I want to eat. And I mean, why can’t pasta be an appetizer, ya know?
So here we are! Like my tortellini Caprese skewers, these bites use store-bought pasta to keep things quick and easy. All you need is 5 ingredients plus 5 minutes of prep. The recipe is inspired by cacio e pepe, one of the classic Roman pastas I learned how to make in culinary school.
Cacio e pepe is just Pecorino Romano and black pepper, but don’t let the simplicity fool you. On pasta, the combo is salty, umami, and absolutely unreal. Honestly, the perfect end-of-summer app if you ask me.
Leave the effort at the door, grab a package of gnocchi, and let’s make it!
What gnocchi to use
For this recipe, I always use shelf-stable gnocchi. You can find this in the dried pasta aisle. I’m sure you could also use refrigerated or frozen gnocchi, but you may need to adjust the cook time by a few minutes!
I have noticed that different brands cook differently, so keep a close eye on the gnocchi. For example, Trader Joe’s takes a little longer to cook than De Cecco. Start cooking them for 12 minutes and add 3-4 more minutes if needed!
Recipe directions
Shake the air fryer basket halfway through cooking to make sure every bit gets crispy! If you have an oven-style air fryer, you can toss the pasta with a spatula instead.
Add spices
To keep this recipe more authentic, I like to stick with just black pepper and Pecorino Romano. But if you want to add some extra flavor, these would be great with a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning too! Start with about 1/2-1 teaspoon of seasoning, and add more to taste.
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Crispy Cacio e Pepe Air Fryer Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound shelf stable potato gnocchi (450 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil more for greasing (30 milliliters)
- 1/4 cup freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese (20 grams)
- Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-2 pinches Kosher salt I use Morton
Equipment
- Air fryer
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Grease the basket with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Combine the gnocchi, olive oil, and Pecorino Romano in a medium mixing bowl. Season with lots of black pepper and 1-2 pinches of Kosher salt, to taste. Use a big spoon to toss everything together until the gnocchi is well-coated. Make sure to scrape up any cheese that sinks to the bottom of the bowl!
- Spread the gnocchi in an even layer in the prepared air fryer basket. (You may need to work in batches if you have a small air fryer.) Air fry the gnocchi at 390°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes. If you want gnocchi that is crispy on the outside, but a bit pillowy on the inside, go with 12 minutes. For extra crispy gnocchi, go with 14-15 minutes.
- Serve the gnocchi right away with marinara sauce, pesto, or even Alfredo sauce. Enjoy!
