Creamy Pasta With Ham and Peas

This all in one meal is a delicious combination of pasta with ham, peas, and just enough creamy Parmesan cheese sauce.  It is a great way to use leftover ham and is sure to have everyone asking for seconds! 

This pasta with ham and peas recipe is perfectly simple.  It is a great way to use up some leftover crockpot spiral ham and turn it into a comforting and delicious meal! 

There is just enough cream and Parmesan cheese to bring it all together and the peas add a nice bright pop of color and sweet flavor. It is so simple to make and is a dinner the family will love!

Why is it that spring and winter always seem to have a bit of a battle this time of year? After a week of spring being in full force, winter is rearing it’s ugly head again.

It’s like spring came in and gave winter a punch right in the sweet spot.  Winter was dazed and looked down for the count, but popped back up just in time to extend the match.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring to stay.  I’ve had enough of the back and forth between nice weather and cold.  Our daffodils came out and bloomed and it snowed two days later.

Our blackberry bushes are getting leaves and our strawberry patch was greening up too.  Hopefully the subsequent freeze didn’t set anything back too far.  That weather man of ours likes to keep us on our toes!

All it takes is a few warm days and for the grass to start to green up and my tastes start to change.  After a long winter of soups, casseroles and braises, I am now ready for quicker, fresher and easier meals.

Peas are one of those early spring vegetables that is always a favorite.  There is something about a pod of sweet peas straight from the vine.

You don’t even have to cook them.  Of course, that is a taste that is hard to come by and it is a bit early for them.  But really frozen peas are a good substitute.

Ham is another dish that says spring to me.  It isn’t necessarily an obvious spring choice, but with Easter coming up there is soon to be plenty of hams on people’s tables.  This Simple Pasta with Peas, Ham and Cream would be a delicious way to use some of those Easter leftovers.

I love how simple and flavorful this dish turns out.  The smell of the butter, onions, garlic and ham cooking draws you in.  Luckily at that point you are just a handful of minutes away from a delicious meal.

Some dishes like this make a heavy sauce to coat everything.  I wanted just enough cream to give a very light coating to everything.

To me the sweet fresh flavor of the peas and the salty savory ham should shine and not be masked by too much cream and cheese.  Don’t get me wrong, I love cream and cheese, but in some cases moderation actually is better.  I am not the only one that likes it just like this.

Not a single one of us was super hungry when we sat down to eat, but all three of us had seconds.  I quickly packaged up the leftovers in lunch sized containers to keep it for myself.  Lunch this week is going to be delicious!

As you can see, this dish has become a spring tradition for us.  If there is leftover ham around, this is bound to be on the menu.

Honestly, we eat it all year long! We always have frozen peas on hand, so any time there are some cubes of ham in the fridge this has a good chance of being on our dinner menu!

 
We also love celebrating spring with my creamy pea salad or ham and asparagus frittata.

Now I am wondering.  What are some of your favorite spring dishes and flavors?  Is there anything that really signifies spring for you?

4.91 from 11 ratings

Creamy Pasta with Ham and Cheese

Author: Carlee

Servings: 8 Servings

Servings

This easy recipe combines ham, pasta, peas and just enough creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. It is a great way to use leftover ham and is sure to have everyone asking for seconds!

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Equipment

• Lodge 3.6 Quart Enamel Cast Iron Casserole Dish with Lid 
• Swiss Diamond 4.3 Qt Saute Pan

Ingredients 

0.5x1x2x

• ▢ 16 oz pasta
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small onion finely diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 cups ham cubed
• ▢ ½ cup chicken stock
• ▢ ⅔ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 cups fresh or defrosted peas
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ optional: additional Parmesan for serving

Instructions 

• Boil noodles and cook to al dente according to the package directions. 
  16 oz pasta
• Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, ham, garlic and a pinch of black pepper and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
  2 Tablespoons butter, 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups ham
• Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
  ½ cup chicken stock, ⅔ cup heavy cream
• Stir in pasta and continue to simmer until pasta is coated. Add peas, stirring to combine and then remove from heat. 
  2 cups fresh or defrosted peas
• Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• Serve immediately with an additional grating of Parmesan if desired.

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Nutrition Information

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 484mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

“Cooking With Carlee” is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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