Air fryers are becoming increasingly popular in Italian kitchens. Easy to use and capable of cooking a wide variety of foods, they are one of the greatest innovations in cooking in recent years. Thanks to hot air, air fryers like those proposed in the Ariete catalog allow us to bring to the table all the fried food we want, as good as traditional frying but much healthier, because it is done without oil and other added fats. Let's discover how to use them best, with 5 light and crispy air fryer recipes.

Why air frying is healthier

Before teasing our palate with Ariete's air fryer recipes, it is good to emphasize again why air frying is healthier. It is the very operation of the appliance that allows us to fry many different foods, without odors and smoke, and without weighing us down; exploiting the high temperatures reached in the cooking chamber, air fryers drastically reduce the use of oil in frying and in all those dishes that need dry heat to cook. As a result, we will have much lighter and healthier dishes, golden on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside.

What to cook in an air fryer: Ariete's recipes

Especially in view of the arrival of summer, it is a good idea to dedicate yourself to lighter and healthier recipes, which still know how to enhance the flavor of every ingredient thanks to their simplicity and revolutionary cooking methods. For this reason, Ariete proposes 5 recipes you absolutely must try using one of the air fryers from its stable, to immediately give flavor to your family dinners or aperitifs at home with friends.

Cous cous with zucchini and shrimp

For a fresh and quick first course suitable for the hottest season, we can try a cous cous with zucchini and shrimp cooked with the air fryer. It is a light but complete and low-calorie dish, enriched by a note of mint perfect for the summer months.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 80 g of pre-cooked cous cous
• 1 zucchini
• 150 g of shrimp
• 4 mint leaves
• half a lemon
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• fine salt to taste

Let's cook the cous cous and let it cool down, then wash the zucchini and cut them finely with a knife or a mandoline slicer. Place them in the air fryer basket with a spoonful of oil, and set the temperature to 200 degrees for 8 minutes, turning them a couple of times. Once ready, season them with mint and salt. At this point carefully clean the shrimp and cook them in a pan for 3 minutes with a little oil, salt, and lemon juice. Finally, dress the cous cous with the zucchini and shrimp, adjusting with oil, salt, and mint.

Crispy chicken bites

Another tasty recipe to make with the air fryer is that of crispy chicken breast bites (or nuggets), beloved also by children and to be served with a classic or more refined sauce.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 500 g of chicken bites
• 50 g of flour 00
• 2 eggs
• 150 g of cornflakes
• half a lemon
• fine salt to taste
• frying oil to taste

First of all, put the chicken bites in a bowl and add salt to taste. Flour them carefully, and go to prepare the breading. To do this, we must break the eggs into a bowl, seasoning with a pinch of salt and lemon juice, and beat the mixture well. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the cornflakes, helping yourself with a food processor, dip the bites in the egg and pass them in the cornflakes. To cook them in the air fryer we must set it to 180 degrees for about 10 minutes, then turn them over and cook them again for the same time.

Light and tasty calamari rings

Among the air fryer recipes, the calamari rings (squid rings) one is among the tastiest. Typical of our culinary tradition, with the air fryer it turns out light and not greasy at all, to be served only with a mixed salad.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 200 g of fresh or thawed squid
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Fine salt to taste
• Type 0 flour

If we use fresh squid, these must obviously be washed and cleaned with care, and subsequently cut into rings and floured. Insert them into the air fryer basket taking care not to overlap them, grease them with a spoonful of oil and let them fry for 8 minutes at 200 degrees, turning halfway through cooking. Once golden at the right point, serve them very hot, adjusting salt.

Fried and crispy chickpea meatballs

Few and simple ingredients are needed to prepare delicious fried chickpea meatballs, ready in a few minutes thanks to Ariete air fryers, and perfect for those following a vegetarian diet or as a light alternative to classic meat meatballs.

Ingredients for 20 meatballs:

• 200 g of pre-cooked chickpeas
• 60 g of breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 50 g of grated cheese
• dried rosemary
• garlic powder
• fine salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon of seed oil for frying

In a food processor, combine the already cooked chickpeas, salt, eggs, a spoonful of oil, rosemary, and garlic powder. Start blending, gradually adding the breadcrumbs and grated cheese, until a compact and non-sticky mixture is obtained. Create the meatballs and pass them in the egg and breadcrumbs. They must be cooked at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes, turning them occasionally.

Eggplant pizzaiola bundles

Even eggplants, in the air fryer, can be used for many delicious recipes. For example, we can use them to make savory pizzaiola bundles with little fat, filled with soft ricotta and scamorza cheese flavored with fresh basil.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 long eggplants
• 300 ml of tomato puree
• 500 g of ricotta
• 30 g of grated parmesan
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 150 g of scamorza cheese
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Fine salt to taste

Wash the eggplants and cut them into thin slices. Grill them on a very hot plate - alternatively we can cook them in the oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes - and meanwhile prepare the tomato and the filling. In a bowl put ricotta, half of the diced scamorza, parmesan, fine salt and chopped basil, mixing well. Now let's prepare our bundles: cross 4 eggplant slices two by two, add the filling with a spoon and close. Cover the bundles with sauce, diced scamorza and grated parmesan, and cook them in the air fryer at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.