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Ham and pea pasta is a one-pot pasta entree made with savory ham and sweet peas in a creamy Parmesan sauce. Make this 30-minute dinner with the stove or pressure cooker.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's creamy, comforting, and family-loved.
- Excellent use for leftover ham.
- Easy to follow recipe for any cooking level.
- Includes instructions for stove or pressure cooker.
- One-pot pasta requires minimal cleanup.
- The delicious leftovers will actually get devoured.
- Adaptable recipe to suit any preferences.
Ham and peas pasta is an easy way to turn leftover holiday spiral ham or deli lunch meat into a creamy, dreamy dinner entree. This creamy white pasta sauce practically makes itself with this one-pot method.
Ingredient notes
Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below.
- uncooked pasta - I prefer orecchiette because it's a sturdy shell that holds its structure, which makes perfect pockets for the cream sauce.
- chicken broth - I recommend a reduced-sodium broth because you can add salt to taste later in the recipe, if desired.
- heavy cream - This adds a rich flavor and texture to the sauce, which makes pasta even more comforting.
- fresh garlic - I prefer to not hold back when it comes to adding fresh garlic.
- Parmesan cheese - Grated or shredded cheese will work.
- peas - I prefer frozen peas for color, flavor, and price value.
- cooked ham - Use sliced deli ham or spiral ham leftovers.
- fresh parsley - Optional, but adds a pop of color and flavor.
How to make this recipe
Enjoy these step-by-step stove instructions and get the full, printable recipe below, including pressure cooker instructions.
Step 1. Add pasta, broth, heavy cream, garlic, and pepper to saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until shells are slightly al dente, stirring as needed. Note: Cook time will depend on pasta thickness.
Step 2. Don't drain. Gently stir PARMESAN CHEESE into the mixture and continue to the next step.
Step 3. Add ham and peas and continue cooking on very low heat until warmed through, stirring as needed.
Garnish, serve with a French loaf and devour!
Recipe tips
- Pasta cook times may vary. Please keep this in mind when using either cooking method for this recipe.
- Heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, has enough fat to withstand the heat from the stove or pressure cooker. Other dairy liquids can curdle in the same environment.
- Do not drain the pasta at any point because the starchy liquid helps build the creaminess and volume of the sauce.
- When reheating ham and pea pasta, add splashes of cream, milk, or broth to revive the moisture and creaminess of the sauce.
Recipe variations
- Any pasta shape can be used for this recipe. I prefer a sturdy pasta such as orecchiette, penne, rotini, or elbow macaroni.
- Use any cooked ham for this pasta recipe, including sliced deli ham and holiday spiral ham.
- Vegetable broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
- If peas aren't an option, feel free to skip them. You can also substitute the peas with steamed broccoli, savory roasted mushrooms, or sauteed asparagus.
- A little crumbled bacon garnish will add a delicious savory flavor and crispy texture to this entree.
One-pot pasta recipes we love
- Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Vodka Chicken Pasta
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
📖 Recipe
Ham and Pea Pasta Recipe
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When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
Stove instructions (see pressure cooker instructions below)
- 8 ounces Orecchiette Pasta Shells, or other pasta variety
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth
- ½ cup Heavy Cream, also called heavy whipping cream
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved, shredded, or fresh grated
- ⅓ pound Cooked Ham, about 1 cup diced
- 1 cup Peas, thawed (if frozen)
Optional garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Add PASTA, CHICKEN BROTH, HEAVY CREAM, GARLIC, and BLACK PEPPER to saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, or until shells are al dente, stirring as needed. Note: Cook time will depend on pasta thickness.
- Add PARMESAN CHEESE and stir to incorporate. For thicker sauce, add more cheese.
- Stir in PEAS and HAM and continue cooking on very low heat about 3 minutes, or until warmed through, stirring as needed.
- Serve warm with parsley garnish.
- To store, allow pasta to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Equipment
- garlic press optional
- 4-quart soup pot for stove method
- 6-quart Instant Pot for pressure cooker method
- chef knife to chop parsley
Recipe Notes
- Pasta cook times may vary. Please keep this in mind when using either cooking method for this recipe.
- Heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, has enough fat to withstand the heat from the stove or pressure cooker. Other dairy liquids can curdle in the same environment.
- When reheating ham and pea pasta, add splashes of cream, milk, or broth to revive the moisture and creaminess of the sauce.
- Check out the recipe variations too!
- To the pressure cooker, add pasta, broth, heavy cream, garlic, and pepper. Push ingredients under the liquid to submerge.
- Close and lock the lid. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" for 2 minutes. If using thin pasta (like shells) set the cooker for 1 minute only.
- When cook cycle completes, let the cooker sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Turn valve to release remaining steam
- Stir in Parmesan, ham, and peas until creamy. Cover and rest 5 minutes until warmed. Serve and enjoy.
Dulcy says
Delicious!
Traci says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for letting me know
Carol Ennis says
Can this be frozen? We would like to have ready for emergency meals for our church members.
Traci says
Hiya, yes you can freeze this by letting it cool completely and storing it in an airtight container. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and, when reheating, add a little heavy cream or broth to revive the creaminess. You may also need to toss in a little parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce again. Let me know if you have other questions. Enjoy!!
Janice says
5 star rating for taste, it is really good. But, I gave it a 4 because of the technical difficulties, which could have been just me. Lol I used medium shells and did 1 minute cook time 10 min nr per instructions and I didn't think the pasta was done enough to my liking and it was still pretty liquidy even after adding cheese, ham and peas and letting it sit in the ip for @ 20 minutes. I ended up making another batch and did 2 minutes with 10 min nr and I liked it better. I will definitely double the recipe next time anyway so we have leftovers. Thank you for the great recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome and I'm glad you dialed it in. I'm surprised that happened with medium shells because I find those to be the quickest cooking (and easily overcooked) variety out there lol. But pasta brands vary so much, I need to add a note to the recipe, so thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it!
Debi says
Is this Frozen Peas?
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes, I usually use frozen peas for this recipe but you can use canned or fresh peas if you like. Enjoy!
Lady Di says
This has become one of my mainstay recipes. I originally knew it as Risi e Bisi which is the same dish but with white rice. I used deli honey ham for this recipe because it adds a touch of sweet to the savory.
I wonder how to adapt this recipe for wild rice? Please let me know!
Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂 As for wild rice, that would be a completely different recipe ... one that I've never tried. Let me know if you decide to experiment!
Al says
This is our go-to leftover ham recipe, especially during the holidays. It always turns out perfect and I love how it's not heart-attack rich, but still has great flavor. Winner every time!
Jeff says
I could eat this for days because it's so good every time I make it! I've used half and half (b/c it's on hand) OR heavy cream and either work great. I already can't wait to eat this again.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! I feel the sammmme way about this pasta! It's my favorite way to use up leftover ham after the holidays 🙂
Kelly Martin says
Can you use tortellini?
The Kitchen Girl says
Sure!...and I'd cook it from frozen too (no thaw) with same cooking time as this recipe.
Jenn says
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 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
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 🙂
David says
Yum! I love ham and peas together in a pasta dish. Definitely would like a plate of this right now!
Traci Antonovich says
Cheers to that, David! 🙂
Gabi says
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 and pea pasta is the perfect dish for my hubby, thank you for inspiring me:)
Traci Antonovich says
Love hearing that, Gabi! Thanks for the vote...and I hope your hubby loves it!
Kelly Anthony says
Love the idea of repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers into a great meal. This sounds like a real crowd pleaser.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Kelly! Not too many people won't eat a creamy white sauce pasta 😉
kim says
My whole family loves this.. even the picky kiddos! Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
You're so welcome, Kim. And yes...go kiddos!
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay glad to hear it! My other half goes crazy for this dish! 🙂
Soniya says
I love one pot recipes and I am always looking for new ones!! This ham and peas pasta looks and sounds to delicious and easy to make and know that my boys will relish it!Thanks
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome...love hearing that Soniya! Hope they do love it...thanks!
Lisa Huff says
My kids are going to love this and I'm going to love sneaking some peas into their meal. 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Haha yay Lisa! I love sneaky ingredients...and the peas are my favorite ending to this dish 🙂 Hope they love it!
Meredith Kauffman says
I love easy one-pot meals that reinvent leftovers! What a fun, and delicious sounding, recipe for leftover ham!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Meredith...it really is the perfect "leftover ham" dish. Hope you get to try it out 🙂
Helene D'Souza says
Your one-pot ham and pea pasta looks super tempting! I just prepared dinner. If I hadn't, I would have made this now. 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Haha love hearing that Helene! Let me know if you get a chance to try it out 🙂
Lauren says
This looks so good, but also so easy! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Lauren...love hearing that. It really is a quick weeknight meal 🙂
Lisa says
This is exactly what I"m in the mood for today! I mean, creamy pasta is always a winner, but the peas and ham make it more of a meal! YUM!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha thanks Lisa...you'll LOVE using holiday hams for this too! 🙂
Beth says
Yum! This looks like the perfect comfort food for a cold day! I love peas and ham together!
Traci Antonovich says
Thank Beth! I'm totally with you on the ham and peas combo 😉
Veena Azmanov says
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
Traci Antonovich says
Hey thanks Veena...yep the kids should love this one 🙂
Luci's Morsels says
This would make the perfect, quick and easy, weeknight meal. I have to try this ASAP! Yummy!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Luci...it is all of those things! 🙂
Rae says
This looks so yummy and comforting, perfect for holiday leftovers.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Rae! It is the perfect leftover dish! 🙂
Jane, The Heritage Cook says
What a great way to use up leftovers and satisfy our cravings for good old-fashioned comfort foods!! SCORE!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, pal, this dish is my new addiction...it's insanely goooooood! Total score, indeed! 🙂