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creamy pasta with peas and ham in bowl.
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5 from 7 votes

Pasta Ham and Peas In Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Use up your leftover ham or buy a ham steak to make this quick and easy weeknight dinner of pasta ham and peas in a creamy parmesan sauce. Dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings (change as needed): 4
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces dry pasta, Note 1, about 2 cups (or fresh pasta)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3/4 pound diced ham, Note 2 (about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm)
  • 1 1/2 cups snap peas, strings removed, roughly chopped Note 3
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic (1 tsp chopped)

Parmesan sauce

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup half and half cream
  • 1 tablespoon -2 pesto (optional) (or use 5-6 fresh basil leaves)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, Note 4
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste.
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • BOIL PASTA; Boil pasta in large pot of salted water according to package directions. Cook to al dente or as soft as you like it. Drain and set aside. Fresh packaged gnocchi will take much less time.
  • SAUTE HAM AND VEGGIES: Heat a nonstick large skillet to medium-high heat. Add ham, green onions, garlic and snow peas. Cook for 2 minutes to release flavors.
  • MAKE PARMESAN SAUCE: Lower heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add broth and cream. Cook to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. It will still be quite thin. Stir in parmesan, pesto or basil leaves, red pepper flakes (if using). The sauce will be thicker now, but will thicken more on standing.
  • FINISH AND SERVE: Stir in cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding black pepper, salt or more parmesan if needed), more pesto. Serve with extra parmesan if you like.

Notes

  1. Pasta options: I prefer to use smaller pasta to get more sauce per bite, but almost any will do. Try fusilli, penne, rigatoni, farfalle, bow tie noodles, orecchiette. Spaghetti, egg noodles, fettuccini and even gnocchi will work fine too. Use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free version.
  2. Ham variations: Buy a ham steak, thick slice of ham or use leftover holiday ham. You can substitute with sausage, prosciutto, chicken or shrimp.
  3. Snap pea substitutes- instead, use about 1 cup fresh or frozen peas. Add them at the end as they only need a minute or two to cook. If you don't like or have peas, try red bell peppers, asparagus or mushrooms instead. When sauteing, let water evaporate before adding the flour for the sauce.
  4. Cheese alternatives: you can swap the parmesan for any melty cheese you like such as cheddar, mozzarella or Gouda. Or nutritional yeast (vegan). 
  5. Shortcuts:
    • Buy snap peas that have been washed and strings removed. Or use frozen or fresh peas (no chopping and less expensive).
    • Buy pre-grated parmesan cheese.
    • Store-bought fresh gnocchi will boil more quickly than most pasta.
    • Skip making the parmesan cream sauce and buy an Alfredo sauce!
  6. Make ahead:
    • Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge
    • Reheat on the stove top, adding a bit of extra broth, water or cream to loosen it up. Or reheat, covered, in the microwave for 2 minutes with a bit of extra liquid.
    • May be frozen for up to 2 months.
 
Nutritional values are estimates. 
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1676mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 3mg