Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas & Tomatoes

overhead shot of a bowl of creamy ham pasta with peas.

Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas & Tomatoes

Dinner will come together in a jiffy with just a handful of ingredients. This recipe for Creamy Ham Pasta with Peas & Tomatoes comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 409kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup whipping cream
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup diced ham
1 cup frozen peas no need to thaw
salt to taste
black pepper
1 tomato seeded and chopped
2 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)

Instructions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Rinse and drain.
1 lb spaghetti
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or back in the same pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook one minute, stirring. Add the cream and red pepper and bring to a low simmer, stirring.
1 tablespoon butter, 1 clove garlic, ½ cup whipping cream, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Add the cooked spaghetti, ham, and peas and toss gently over low heat until heated through.
1 cup diced ham, 1 cup frozen peas
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss in the tomatoes and basil right before serving.
salt, black pepper, 1 tomato, 2 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate and are based on ⅙ the recipe.

Serving Suggestions: I like to serve this pasta with cooked veggies or a green salad. Be sure to pass the bread basket.

Shop Your Kitchen: There are so many different subs you can consider based on what you have.

Use bacon or prosciutto instead of the ham.
Add a seasoning mix like herbes de Provence or Cajun Spice.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt will give a tang in place of cream.
Other veggies can be used instead of peas and tomatoes. Try bell pepper, kale, spinach, and/or broccoli. Sundried tomatoes, capers, and kalamata olives are also interesting mix-ins.
If you want cheese pasta, you can make a parmesan cream sauce by adding shredded parmesan cheese to the cream in step 2.
For chicken pasta, swap 1 cup cooked and chopped chicken for the ham.

To Make a Meal Prep: I often prepare this dish in plastic meal prep dishes for easy lunches during the week. Prep the recipe as directed, allow the steam to blow off. Divide the pasta among six meal prep boxes. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Consume within 4 days.

Freeze Extra for Later: This pasta is not recommended for freezer meal prep.

Make a Plan for Leftovers: This pasta reheats beautifully the next day. Just be sure to promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. If you store your leftovers in clear containers, they’re more likely to get eaten.

Nutrition