Parmesan Pasta with Peas and Ham

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4.73 from 22 votes

Parmesan Pasta with Peas and Ham

A savory Parmesan sauce makes this simple, family-favorite meal extra delicious. It's a great way to use leftover ham!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: glazed ham, pasta, peas and ham, roast ham

Servings: to 8 servings

Calories: 346kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

1 pound oriechette or other pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan*
1½ cups frozen peas thawed
8 ounces (1½ cups) cooked ham, diced
¼ cup heavy cream
Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven or large high-sided non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in broth, stirring until any flour lumps are gone. Add salt, red pepper flakes and oregano and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
When sauce is viscous, add Parmesan and stir until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Add the peas, ham and reserved pasta. Then stir in heavy cream. Heat through and serve immediately garnished with plenty of basil. If pasta and sauce thickens too much, stir in some of the reserved pasta water to make it saucy again.

Notes

* Shredded Parmesan will not melt properly to create the desired creamy sauce. If you don't have access to finely grated Parmesan, place your shredded Parmesan in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Pasta Tip: Orecchiette pasta is perfect for holding the bits of ham and peas with some of the creamy Parmesan sauce. You can swap it for another pasta like Fusilli or Conchigliette if you'd like.

Pasta alla Papalina is the traditional Italian dish with ham and peas in a creamy sauce. When you get the authentic dish in Italian restaurants the sauce is rich and not too creamy like an alfredo. Just silky with a touch of cream.

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