This Leftover Ham Alfredo Pasta recipe is a post-holiday, leftovers-gone-right, comfort food. It has leftover ham, sweet peas, pasta shells, and a creamy, dreamy alfredo sauce. Repurpose your holiday ham in one pot, in 20 minutes.
Leftover Ham Alfredo Pasta Recipe
Do you know what to do with leftover ham?
Last year, I created a recipe around a hunk of leftover ham from Sunday’s holiday dinner with friends.
Guys, this is my jam!
I tossed a few, simple ingredients into one pot and made dinner magic happen.
Meals using leftovers don’t always go like this.
But, with this recipe, it totally went like this.
Talk about a no fuss dinner!
This dish requires a few, quick prep steps, like chopping onion, grating garlic, and dicing ham, then you’re off to the races!
Can I freeze leftover ham?
The answer is yes!
To do so, you can seal leftover ham in a freezer bag and store immediately.
Be sure to include a package date on your bag, and consume the ham within 6 weeks of that date to avoid freezer burn.
When you pull the ham out of the freezer, go ahead and make my alfredo pasta recipe!
How do you make homemade alfredo sauce?
I usually make alfredo sauce in a pot by itself, but in this leftover ham recipe, the sauce is made in the same pot with the pasta {see full recipe below}. It’s this easy:
- sauté onion and garlic
- add chicken stock and pasta shells; boil until soft
- add frozen peas, diced ham, and half and half
- simmer
- stir in parmesan cheese and serve
Leftover Ham Alfredo Pasta Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- reduced sodium chicken broth
- uncooked pasta shells (I used orecchiette)
- frozen peas
- leftover ham
- half and half
- parmesan cheese
- black pepper
- fresh parsley
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe:
- chef knife and cutting board
- microplane fine grater (for cheese)
- garlic press
- 11” stainless skillet (no lid necessary)
- wooden spoon
Want more recipes that utilize protein leftovers?
Rotisserie Chicken Teriyaki Lettuce Cups
One Pot Chicken and Broccoli Rice
Skip The Takeout Chicken Fried Brown Rice
Traci Antonovich
Yields 5 1-cup servings
Cooked ham, frozen peas, oriecchette pasta, and creamy, dreamy Alfredo sauce...all in ONE pot...only 30 minutes!
5 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save Recipe4.9 based on 14 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 white Onion (diced; about 1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves Garlic (grated)
- 3 cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
- 2 cups uncooked Orecchiette Pasta Shells
- 1 cup Frozen Peas (thawed)
- 1 cup Ham (diced)
- 2/3 cup Half and Half
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
- Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh Parsley (chopped)
Instructions
In an 11” stainless skillet on medium flame, heat OLIVE OIL until shimmering (about 2 min).
Add ONION and GARLIC; saute until tender and fragrant (about 3 min).
Add CHICKEN BROTH and PASTA SHELLS; increase heat to high until boil occurs.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until pasta is just slightly underdone; stirring frequently to avoid pasta sticking to skillet (8-12 minutes).
Add PEAS, HAM, and HALF AND HALF; bring to gentle boil for a minute.
Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until pasta shells are fully cooked; stirring frequently (3-5 minutes).
Fold in PARMESAN CHEESE, season with BLACK PEPPER, and garnish with fresh PARSLEY; serve warm.
Notes
I didn’t salt this recipe due to the high sodium in the chicken broth, the ham, and the parmesan cheese.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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