Creamy Alfredo Pasta recipe made for Instant Pot or stove. Leftover ham (or deli ham) and peas keeps it frugal and easy. The one-pot pasta magic gives it a creamy base, but with minimal cream. It’s less rich and tastes as indulgent as classic alfredo pasta.
Alfredo pasta leftover ham recipe
This scrumptious number can be made with leftover holiday ham or fresh deli ham and a few kitchen staples. The chicken broth base and minimal heavy cream makes it less rich than classic alfredo pasta, just like my Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo recipe!
Alfredo pasta recipe ingredient list
* See full recipe below
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth
- uncooked pasta shells (the thicker the better…I used orecchiette)
- frozen peas
- cooked ham
- heavy whipping cream
- parmesan cheese
- black pepper
- fresh parsley (for garnish)
How to make alfredo pasta in the Instant Pot
* See full recipe below
- Sauté onion and garlic in the Instant Pot.
- Add pasta, broth, and heavy cream.
- Close lid, seal valve, and pressure cook 1 or 2 minutes depending on pasta type.
- Allow 10 minute NPR (don’t skip this step).
- Release any remaining steam.
- Fold in parmesan cheese, ham peas, and pepper.
- Close lid with vent open to warm the ham and peas.
- Open lid, give a stir, and serve warm.
Grab my easy Instant Pot recipes
How to make alfredo pasta on the stove in one pot
* See full recipe below
- Sauté ONION and GARLIC over medium-high heat in an 11″ skillet.
- Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and pasta.
- Boil until pasta is al dente (about 10 minutes).
- Fold in ham and peas.
- Simmer until pasta is cooked to your liking.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Can I freeze leftover ham?
Yes! To do so, seal leftover ham in a freezer storage bag and store it 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.
Recommended Tools
- chef knife and cutting board
- microplane fine grater (for cheese)
- garlic press
- 11” stainless skillet or 6 qt Instant Pot
- stirring utensil
Other recipes that use cooked proteins
- Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Black-Eyed Peas and Ham
- One-Pot Rotisserie Chicken and Broccoli Rice
- Rotisserie Chicken Fried Brown Rice
- 40 Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Italian Sausage Soup With Orzo
- Lasagna Soup For Instant Pot Or Stove
- Ham Alfredo Pasta For Instant Pot Or Stove
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta In Lemon Cream Sauce
Grab these Easy Dinner Recipes!
Ham and Peas Alfredo Pasta Recipe
Creamy Alfredo Pasta recipe made for Instant Pot or stove. Leftover ham (or deli ham) and peas keeps it frugal and easy. The one-pot pasta magic gives it a creamy base, but with minimal cream. It's less rich and tastes as indulgent as classic alfredo pasta.
Print
PinYield: 6 1-cup servings
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion diced; about 1/2 cup
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 cups Uncooked Shell Pasta 3 cups = 8 oz
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream also called heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Ham 1/4 lb. diced
- 1 cup Frozen Peas thawed
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- NOTE: This recipe was updated on 06/26/20 due to errors discovered by a reader using the Instant Pot method. Sincere apologies to anyone who had "soupy" results prior to the recipe corrections. Thank you for understanding 💚
Leftover Ham Alfredo Pasta (Instant Pot Instructions)
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat the OLIVE OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add ONION and GARLIC; sauté until tender and fragrant (about 3 min).
- Add PASTA, CHICKEN BROTH, and HEAVY CREAM to the Instant Pot. Press the pasta under the liquid to submerge.
- Secure the lid and turn the pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position.
- Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and set the Instant Pot on HIGH pressure for 2 minutes for thicker shells like orecchiette, bowtie, penne, and macaroni. For thinner pasta shells, program the cooker for only 1 minute pressure cook time.
- When the cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed, for a natural pressure release (NPR). DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP…the pasta is still cooking in "keep warm" mode.
- Carefully turn the pressure release valve to the "Venting" position to release any remaining steam.
- Open the lid, stir in PARMESAN CHEESE, DICED HAM, PEAS, and BLACK PEPPER.
- Return the lid with pressure valve in "venting" position, allowing ham and peas to warm through a few minutes.
Leftover Ham Alfredo Pasta (Stove Instructions)
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add and saute ONION and GARLIC until tender.
- Add PASTA, CHICKEN BROTH, and HEAVY CREAM; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook until shells are almost completely cooked, stirring as needed (7-10 minutes depending on type of pasta).
- Stir in PEAS and HAM, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pasta is cooked to your liking, stirring as needed (3-5 minutes).
- Fold in PARMESAN CHEESE and BLACK PEPPER.
Serving, Storage, and Reheat Tip
- Serve alfredo pasta warm (optional) garnished with fresh parsley.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- To reheat, add a splash of cream or broth to revive the creaminess. Use stovetop or microwave on medium heat setting, stirring as needed.
Tried this recipe? I’d love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 713IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe author and food photographer at The Kitchen Girl
I'm on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips.
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Can you use tortellini?
Sure!…and I’d cook it from frozen too (no thaw) with same cooking time as this recipe.
Great, easy recipe! I was looking for a way to use up a small amount of leftover ham and this was perfect. I did it stovetop as I’m wary about instant pot pasta recipes. I doubled the recipe (4 cups of rotini was just smaller than my 375g box of pasta, so I just used the whole thing), fried up the ham at the beginning along with the onions (it was fatty chunk and I wanted to render some of the fat first), and I left the rotini very undercooked before putting the 18% cream and peas (and tiny chopped up pieces of broccoli and cauliflower) as I wanted the end result to be al dente. The whole family loved it! Thanks and I will be trying out some of your other recipes too 🙂
So glad to hear it, Jenn! Love the idea of rendering the fat first. Also love the cauliflower idea. Great choices! Thanks for the great review 🙂
Yum! I love ham and peas together in a pasta dish. Definitely would like a plate of this right now!
Cheers to that, David! 🙂
I’m a big fan of one pot meals and when you then combine leftovers in a delicious way like you did, you are my star! Your ham Alfredo pasta is the perfect dish for my hubby , thank you for inspiring me:)
Love hearing that, Gabi! Thanks for the vote…and I hope your hubby loves it!
Love the idea of repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers into a great meal. This sounds like a real crowd pleaser.
Thanks Kelly! Not too many people won’t eat alfredo 😉
My whole family loves this.. even the picky kiddos! Thanks for the tasty recipe!
You’re so welcome, Kim. And yes…go kiddos!
What a great use of leftover ham! My go-to is always omelets, but I love this dinner idea and will be trying it next time I have leftovers!
Yay glad to hear it! My other half goes crazy for this dish! 🙂
I love one pot recipes and I am always looking for new ones!! This ham and peas Alfredo looks and sounds to delicious and easy to make and know that my boys will relish it!Thanks
Awesome…love hearing that Soniya! Hope they do love it…thanks!
My kids are going to love this and I’m going to love sneaking some peas into their meal. 🙂
Haha yay Lisa! I love sneaky ingredients…and the peas are my favorite ending to this dish 🙂 Hope they love it!
I love easy one-pot meals that reinvent leftovers! What a fun, and delicious sounding, recipe for leftover ham!
Thanks Meredith…it really is the perfect “leftover ham” dish. Hope you get to try it out 🙂
Your one-pot ham and peas alfredo looks super tempting! I just prepared dinner. If I hadn’t, I would have made this now. 🙂
Haha love hearing that Helene! Let me know if you get a chance to try it out 🙂
This looks so good, but also so easy! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
Thanks Lauren…love hearing that. It really is a quick weeknight meal 🙂
This is exactly what I”m in the mood for today! I mean, alfredo is always a winner, but the peas and ham make it more of a meal! YUM!
Haha thanks Lisa…you’ll LOVE using holiday hams for this too! 🙂
Yum! This looks like the perfect comfort food for a cold day! I love peas and ham together!
Thank Beth! I’m totally with you on the ham and peas combo 😉
I love one pot meals and this looks like the perfect one on week nights when I am busy!! My Kids love peas so definitely one for my family
Hey thanks Veena…yep the kids should love this one 🙂
This would make the perfect, quick and easy, weeknight meal. I have to try this ASAP! Yummy!
Thanks Luci…it is all of those things! 🙂
This looks so yummy and comforting, perfect for holiday leftovers.
Thanks so much Rae! It is the perfect leftover dish! 🙂
What a great way to use up leftovers and satisfy our cravings for good old-fashioned comfort foods!! SCORE!
Thanks, pal, this dish is my new addiction…it’s insanely goooooood! Total score, indeed! 🙂