Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas & Tomatoes

Looking for a quick and easy pasta dish that’s a little outside the norm? This Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas and Tomatoes can be ready in less than 30 minutes! With just a handful of grocery staples and maybe some leftover ham, you can pull together a super tasty cheap pasta dinner, perfect for a cozy night in or a regular family dinner.

I love to make this easy recipe with leftover Slow Cooker Ham. When you freeze ham, you can have what you need to add to recipes quickly and easily. Made in one pot, this Ham Pasta recipe is definitely one to make when you have no time to cook.

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• Ingredients
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• Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas & Tomatoes

Once upon a time, I worked in a bougie Santa Barbara restaurant as a server. I peppered one of the younger chefs with questions, especially when it came to choosing the specials for the day. Turns out, he didn’t just dream it up, but he followed one of the tenets of the Good Cheap Eats System: Shop your kitchen!

Each day he would look and see what needed using and develop the latest recipes for the day’s specials based on what was already there. The result was always delicious, but it didn’t waste their resources.

This Ham Pasta is one of those types of recipes: it uses what you have on hand, like leftover cooked ham, and makes it into something amazing and super delicious.

Why Make This

It’s quick. Dinner will come together in a jiffy with just a handful of ingredients. This recipe for Ham Pasta is amazingly easy and delicious!

It avoids waste. Using up Easter or Christmas ham or leftover spaghetti can get tricky. This dish was born out of using what we had during a pantry challenge.

It’s delicious. You’ll want to buy ham on purpose just to make this! It’s restaurant-level without the big ticket price.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas:

spaghetti – I like the long noodles, but if you prefer, you can use bow tie pasta or another shaped noodle.

butter – Butter gives this a rich flavor, but you can also use olive oil. Remember you can freeze butter if you won’t use the whole pound soon.

garlic – Minced fresh garlic is best for this. If you have shallots or leeks, those would also be good.

heavy cream – You don’t need a lot of cream, just enough to build a sauce. If you prefer to go dairy free, use some chicken broth instead.

crushed red pepper flakes – Pepper flakes add a little bit of a kick to Ham Pasta.

diced ham – You can use the leftovers of a crock pot ham, a ham steak, or cubed or diced ham bought at the store.

salt and freshly ground black pepper – Add these seasonings to taste. You may also want to use a custom spice mix like our homemade Cajun Spice Blend.

peas – I typically keep a bag of frozen peas on hand to use in Shepherd’s Pie or to add to pasta. You can use canned peas, but they won’t have as fresh a flavor as frozen.

tomato – One chopped tomato adds just enough acid and color to make this dish pop. For the best texture, be sure to seed tomatoes before adding them to your recipes.

fresh basil – A little chopped fresh basil really elevates this Ham Pasta. You don’t need much, so consider keeping a small potted plant in the kitchen.

Variation: If you want cheese pasta, you can make a parmesan cream sauce by adding shredded parmesan cheese to the cream in step 2.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse and drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring. Add the cream and red pepper, and bring to a low simmer.

Add the spaghetti, peas, and ham to the pan and toss gently over low heat until heated through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss in the tomatoes and basil right before serving.

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FAQs

Serving Suggestions

Take your creamy ham pasta dinner to the next level with these serving suggestions:

1.  Add a salad on the side: A crisp and crunchy side salad pairs perfectly with this ham pasta dish. Try a Green Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Almonds.

2. Pass the bread basket: Garlic Brie Toasts certainly take this dinner to the next level. For something a bit lighter, try our Easy Garlic Breadsticks.

3. Pour some vino. This pasta recipe pairs well with a medium-bodied red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Merlot. Prefer white wine? Try a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

More Great Pasta Recipes

This post was originally published on July 26, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.