Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta Recipe

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With Easter right upon us, everyone is planning out their menus. We love ham year-round and it is always on our Easter menu. For me, the leftovers are plenty and there are so many possibilities. This ham and pea pasta is awesome to make with either leftover ham or diced ham  It’s creamy, hearty and loved by everyone who tries it.

Whether you enjoying a spiral ham or country ham, the end results are always delicious. Repurposing the leftovers is so much fun as the flavor blends are endless.  Plus, you can always buy either ham steaks or diced ham to make this creamy pasta recipe any time.

Ham and Pea Pasta Recipe

The creamy sauce is absolutely perfect paired with the combo of ham, peas, and pasta, ham. Using leftover ham is a great way to make a great meal with leftovers.  What is great though, you can make this recipe anytime, just use diced ham or dice up a ham steak.

Frozen peas are budget-friendly and a great ingredient to keep in the freezer for an easy side or adding to shephard’s pie.

Main Ingredients

The pasta, farfalle, can also be referred to as bow-tie pasta. Not shown below, shallots and garlic which add flavor to the base of the cream sauce.   sauteed as the base of the cream sauce.

Variations:

• Use any shape pasta your family enjoys. I prefer small shapes like farfalle (bow-ties), shells, and elbow macaroni. Gluten-free pasta can be used
• We use shallots but you can also use onions, red onions, or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Don’t have any onion or powder, leave it out.
•  Mozzarella is delish and is ooey-gooey and a staple for this recipe. For me, no substitute. In a pinch, for the alternate cheese, you can experiment. Gruyere or Gouda cheese are tasty substitutes.
•  Italian seasoning is my go-to seasoning as it packs a few herbs. Dried oregano or basil also works well.

Recipe tips:

• Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water to add into the cream sauce, if needed. The pasta water will thin out a thick sauce.

Step by step recipe instructions

1. Precook the pasta and set aside. Saute shallots and garlic in 1 Tablespoon of the butter for about 1 minute. This softens the shallots and releases the flavors into the pan. Then, add in the garlic and seasonings to release the seasoning and blend in the garlic.
2. Whisk in the heavy cream, simmer to mix flavors.
3. Blend in cheeses, to melt. (My favorite part)
4. (5) Stir in peas,
5. Then ham.
6.  Stir in farfalle. Simmer and stir for a minute or two to warm through. Serve.

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• cast iron pan: Use either a cast iron pan or skillet.
• pasta pot: Make a lot of pasta then you will love this pot.

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Other easy pasta recipes include my tasty linguine with white clam sauce, delish. For a vegetarian option try my Mediterranean eggplant sauce over pasta.

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Creamy Ham, Peas, and Pasta

Creamy sauce tops pasta with ham and peas. A great recipe to use leftover holiday ham.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy pasta sauce, ham peas pasta, leftover ham recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

0 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 863kcal

Author: Eileen Kelly

Equipment Needed:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked farfalle pasta or your favorite small pasta
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 1 and 3 Tablespoons Note 1
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning Note 2
• 1/2 teaspoon salt Note 3
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Note 2
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream Note 4
• 1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 cup diced ham Note 4
• pasta water Note
• fresh parsley, optional garnish

Instructions

• Prepare the farfalle according to package directions, set aside
• While pasta cooks, in a saute pan, over medium heat add 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (Note 1), let melt. Add in diced shallots, saute about 2 minutes to soften shallots.
• Add in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Continue to saute another few seconds to blend flavors. (Note 6)
• Stir in the remaining butter (Note 1), let melt. Whisk in the flour, continue to whisk about 1 minute to blend flavors.
• Whisk in heavy cream to blend. Cook and stir occasionally, about 5 minutes to thicken sauce.
• Mix in the shredded cheese combo. Whisk to melt cheese, about 1 minute.
• Gently stir in the peas, ham, and cooked farfalle. Simmer another minute to blend flavors and warm pasta, stirring occasionally.
• Taste sauce for seasoning, adjust any, if needed.
• Serve with chopped fresh parsley, optional.

Notes

Note 1: Use 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter to saute the shallots and garlic. The remaining 3 Tablespoons get added in with the flour to make a roux to thicken the sauce.

Note 2: Italian seasoning is my go-to for depth of flavor. You can vary dried herbs with what you have on hand such as dried basil or parsley. 

Note 3: Start with this amount, you may need more depending on your taste when you finish the recipe. 

Note 4: Half and half can be used for a lighter flavor.

Note 5 : Use leftover ham or purchase diced ham or a ham steak.

Note 6: Be sure to saute garlic quickly to blend flavors. Burnt garlic doesn't taste good at all.

Note 7:  The water that the pasta cooks in is valuable for any sauce that will be made for it.  Always reserve a cup or two of the water before draining the pasta. The pasta water adds flavor and can thin out the sauce if too thick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2276IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 595mg | Iron: 2mg

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Thank you for sharing!