Lasagna Noodles Are The Ultimate Tortilla Chip Swap For Italian-Inspired Nachos

Two things that seem perfect enough to not need any messing with are lasagna and nachos, but that's before you think about the prospect of combining them. The crispy crunch of nachos is already a great pair with cheese and tomato salsa, so it's not that far of a leap to imagine some melty mozzarella and marinara sauce on chips. But if you want true Italian-inspired nachos, you can't stop with just the sauce. Lasagna noodles can be transformed into wonderfully robust and crunchy chips that can hold up to the weight of toppings and deliver the full pasta experience you're looking for, just in nacho form.

Lasagna chips take a little effort, but the results are worth it. Start off with standard store-bought lasagna noodles, nothing fancy needed. Cook them according to the package instructions to soften them, then slice them up into chip-sized pieces. In a large skillet, heat ½ inch of frying oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the cooked noodles dry and fry them in batches for three to four minutes, until the chips are puffy and golden brown. Move the cooked chips to a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle them with salt while they're still hot. You can keep the cooked and salted chips in a warm oven while you fry the rest if you want them to stay hot. Then it's just down to the toppings.

Once you've got your lasagna noodles cooked, cut, and fried, the next big step is the sauce. A tomato meat sauce like Bolognese is a great companion that mimics the ground beef and salsa combo of standard nachos, but a chunky vegetarian tomato sauce also works great. Mozzarella is an ideal melting cheese for shredding and baking your Italian nachos, but if you want a little more flavor from the cheese, you can mix in shredded provolone or parmesan to give it a boost. From there, freestyle with whatever pasta pairings strike your fancy. Olives or marinated artichoke can add a briny bite, or you can spice things up with hot peppers. And since this is pasta we're talking about, a handful of fresh shredded basil is always a welcome addition.

If you want to go even further towards mimicking the lasagna experience you can leave the cooked chips out of the oven, and make a lasagna dip for your pasta chips. Just mix some basic tomato sauce with toppings and cooked meat of your choice in a casserole dish. Dollop the top with ricotta cheese, and then spread a layer of shredded mozzarella over the top with some parmesan. Bake everything in a 400-degree oven until the cheese is melting and starting to brown on top, which should take around 15 minutes. Serve warm with your lasagna chips for the perfect Italian flavored party treat.