Lunch & Dinner · 40 Minutes

Ninja Crispi Cheesy Pasta

If you’re looking for an easy comfort meal, this is one of my favorites. I make this whenever I have vegetables sitting in the fridge that need to be used up — almost anything works in this recipe. It’s quick, convenient, and perfect for meal prep since it reheats really well. The best part is finishing it in the Ninja Crispi, which gives the cheese a golden, bubbly top without much effort. It’s one of those recipes that’s simple enough for a busy weeknight but still feels cozy and satisfying.

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Serves

Equipment

Ninja Crispi

Ingredients

The pasta

1 box of pasta (any shape works)
1 tbsp olive oil (for the pasta water)
Salt, to taste

The sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
2 bell peppers, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 Portuguese sausage, sliced into rounds
8 arabiki sausages, sliced into rounds
1 jar (24 oz) tomato marinara sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder

The finish

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

Step 01

Prepare the vegetables and sausage

Dice the bell peppers, onion, and carrot into small, even pieces. Slice both sausages into generous rounds. Set everything aside.

Step 02

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the pasta until just al dente — it will finish in the Ninja Crispi, so slightly underdone is exactly right. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining, then set aside.

Step 03

Sauté the vegetables

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, peppers, and carrot and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Season with the chicken bouillon powder for more flavor.

Step 04

Add the sausages

Stir in the sliced Portuguese sausage and arabiki. Let them cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to brown and their oils release into the pan. This is where the dish gets its depth.

Step 05

Build the cream tomato sauce

Pour the tomato sauce into the pan. Then — and this is a small trick worth keeping — pour the heavy cream directly into the empty tomato jar, swirl it around to collect every last bit of sauce, and add it all to the pan. Let everything simmer together for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is silky and unified.

Step 06

Combine the pasta and sauce

Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce and toss to coat. The noodles will soak up the sauce quickly, so add splashes of the reserved pasta water as you go to keep everything saucy and loose.

Step 07

Top with mozzarella and load the Ninja Crispi

Transfer the sauced pasta into the Ninja Crispi pot. Cover generously — do not hold back — with all three cups of shredded mozzarella. The cheese should completely blanket the surface.

Step 08

Bake

Close the lid and set the Ninja Crispi to Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, the edges are bubbling, and the top is golden.

Step 09

Serve

Let it rest for a minute, then serve directly from the pot while the cheese is still melted and hot. It reheats really well too, so leftovers the next day are just as good.

A note

Undercook the pasta slightly — it will finish cooking in the Ninja Crispi and absorbs sauce fast, so pulling it early keeps it from getting mushy. No Ninja Crispi? Transfer the sauced pasta to an oven-safe dish, top with cheese, and broil at 425°F for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and bubbling.