Easy Air Fryer Lasagna Fritta {Olive Garden Copycat}

This is an Olive Garden copycat recipe for air fryer five-cheese lasagna fritta.

It’s fried lasagna filled with creamy ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese spread in between rolled lasagna noodles that are then dipped in batter and fried golden crispy.

I thought it was going to be difficult to make a copycat version of Olive Garden’s lasagna frittas, but it was actually pretty simple!

Try out my Air Fryer Olive Garden Chicken Kabobs that marinates the chicken in their dressing and cooks on skewers with delicious vegetables!

What are lasagna frittas?

In case you’ve never had them, lasagna frittas are fried lasagna. They are filled with cheese, rolled up, battered, and fried until they are golden and crispy.

It’s so delicious! These are one of my favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes and it also happens to be one of my top recipes on here because they’re just that good!

This version of lasagna fritta is a tad larger than the appetizer version Olive Garden serves.

The noodles you buy from the grocery store are just a wee bit bigger, but I guess that means more lasagna fritta, right? Yum!

I decided to do this air fryer style because we don’t need to add more grease on top of a carb-loaded appetizer.

Although, frying them in oil is still super, super tasty which is why I give BOTH recipes here!

There are so many yummy Olive Garden copycat recipes out there like Zuppa Toscana, their Alfredo sauce, and their truly addicting breadsticks.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Five-Cheese Lasagna Fritta

• Lasagna Noodles
• Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Romano Cheese
• Asiago Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• 4 Large Eggs (for the filling and the batter)
• Finely Grated Parmesan
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Olive Oil Spray (other oils work too) – for the air fryer cooking version
• Canola/Vegetable Oil – for the pan-fried version

Ingredients for Alfredo Sauce

• Butter
• Grated Parmesan
• Heavy Cream
• Garlic Salt
• Parsley, for topping

Optional – Try the Alfredo sauce with extra cheese leftover from the lasagna frittas!

• 1/2 cup Grated Romano
• 1/2 cup Grated Asiago

Is air-fried food healthy?

Air-fried food is healthier than deep-fat frying foods in oil. The food becomes saturated in oil as it cooks, whereas with an air fryer a minimal amount (typically 1-2 tablespoons) of oil is added to breadcrumbs or the food is lightly brushed with oil or butter.

How to use an air fryer:

It’s actually very simple! Once you have it assembled, there is no preheating required at all!

I always spray my basket with olive oil to avoid any sticking. Place the food on the tray, set the temperature, and time and that’s it.

The fabulous thing is that the air fryer is very versatile. You can bake a cake in it, fry fish, get french fries nice and crispy, cook bacon, the ideas are limitless!

Can you use Pam nonstick spray in an air fryer?

It’s best not to. It’s been found that air fryer baskets do not tolerate aerosol spray. It causes the coating to peel off the baskets.

To get around it, use a non-aerosol spray bottle of olive oil, or you can rub coconut oil directly on the basket.

What fries the bread crumbs in an air fryer?

If you leave the bread crumbs without ANY type of grease or fat it will leave them very dry.

The nice thing with an air fryer is that you can cut out the majority of the oil and fat and have a slightly healthier version of cooking than if you deep-fried the food.

There are two ways to air fry bread crumbs:

• Spray the bread crumb coating that is already on your food with cooking spray or oil.
• Heat a small amount of olive oil with the bread crumbs prior to coating your food with it. Microwave it for 30 seconds at a time until it begins to lightly brown.

How to Make Air Fryer Five-Cheese Lasagna Fritta

It all begins by boiling your noodles according to the box directions until al dente. They need to be soft to handle and roll-up.

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If you are unable to find lasagna without ribbons, it’s best to cut the ribbon edges off. They do not roll well or stay together with the bumpy ribbon edge.

The cheesy mixture needs to be spread evenly on each noodle before you roll them up.

These are of course larger than Olive Garden’s lasagna frittas, but you can, of course, cut the noodle down to try to aim for their size of the appetizer.

How to Make Mini Lasagna Frittas

Mini fried lasagnas are more like the size of Olive Garden’s version.

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Cut each lasagna noodle into 4 pieces as shown in the above photo.

Fill each noodle with cheesy mixture, the same as the larger version would be filled.

Resume with the remainder of the directions below – freezing, breading, and then cooking.

Air Fryer Method

For the air fryer cooking method, it is best to still freeze them.

They tend to be messy once you begin dipping them in egg wash and bread crumbs.

Once they are frozen (in about 1-2 hours) you can immediately start dipping them in the egg wash, and then dip in the bread crumb/Parmesan coating.

How long and what temperature do you cook lasagna frittas in the air fryer?

You still need to add some form of oil/butter to the bread crumbs, as previously mentioned.

I used the method mentioned above – microwaving olive oil with the bread crumbs.

The large, full-size lasagna frittas are cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of about 16 minutes, flipping halfway.

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Mini lasagna frittas are cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 4 minutes on each side, a total of 8 minutes.

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To check for doneness, open the air fryer tray and peek in on them to see if they are golden brown.

Pan-Frying Method

For the pan-fried cooking method, you will also need to freeze them.

Freezing them for 1-2 hours before they are battered with bread crumbs keeps the cheesy inside the rolled lasagna noodle.

It’s also important to freeze them before pan-frying because the cheese will immediately come out in the oil as well.

After they are frozen, it is time to batter them.

First, dip them in the egg wash, and then dip in the bread crumb/Parmesan cheese coating.

For pan-frying, put enough oil in the pan to cover the tops of them like a deep-fry and heat it over medium-high heat.

Flip them halfway (2 minutes on each side) for even cooking.

It’s the same cook time for mini lasagna frittas.

Final Touches for Both Cooking Methods

For serving, place a layer of marinara sauce onto the plate.

Then place the lasagna frittas on top of the sauce and drizzle Alfredo sauce over top.

There was extra Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese from the lasagna frittas. I put the cheese (about a cup and a half) into the Alfredo sauce.

It turned out fantastic and I might need to do that every time now!

Recommended Recipes

• Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
• Chicken Parmesan
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Old Chicago’s Italian Nachos (Copycat Recipe)
• Olive Garden Chicken Kabobs
• Toasted Ravioli

Enjoy!