Pasta with Ham and Peas (No Cream)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Apr 3, 2023 (last updated May 14, 2026) 
Made with diced ham, frozen peas, and a bright lemony parmesan sauce, this pasta with ham and peas comes together in 20-minutes with no heavy cream required. A weeknight pantry dinner perfect for leftover holiday ham or a quick stop at the deli counter!
5 star review
“I loved the pasta. Meal. Easy, tasty an not much clean up!!!!!!”
– Susan
My Favorite 20-Minute Ham and Peas Pasta!
This pasta with ham and peas is my go-to weeknight take on Pasta alla Papalina, the classic Italian dish that pairs ham, peas, and a cream sauce over fettuccine. My signature trick here is using creme fraiche in place of heavy cream, which gives all the silky, restaurant-quality creaminess of the traditional dish with about half the richness. And the best part? A handful of pantry ingredients and 20-minutes is all you need to make it!
A little pro tip here is crisping the diced ham first in a hot pan, which pulls out the salty, savory flavor of the ham and gives you those slightly browned, crispy edges that add depth without adding any extra ingredients. From there, the creme fraiche melts into the pasta water and parmesan to create a glossy sauce that clings to every bite of pasta in the BEST possible way. And if creme fraiche is not your thing, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta or whipped cottage cheese all work as substitutes.
Top this pasta with ham and peas with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and chopped fresh parsley right before serving to bring it altogether. Spaghetti or linguine catch the sauce best, but truly any pasta shape works. I love that this recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover ham from my slow cooker ham, or you can pick up 4 to 5 slices from the deli counter and dice them at home. So easy! And for another quick weeknight pasta that uses on peas as the main vegetable, my green pea pasta comes together in 15-minutes with a simple buttery sauce.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Ham Pasta with Peas
Testing Notes for Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta
- Be sure to reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining! The starchy water is what creates the glossy sauce when combined with the creme fraiche and parmesan, and you will use more of it than you think, so set aside slightly more than the recipe calls for, since adding extra water at the end to loosen the sauce is easy, while a too-thick sauce is harder to fix without watering down the flavor.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest and juice! The acid is what cuts through the salty richness of the ham and parmesan and keeps the dish from feeling heavy. Even though it sounds like a small step, leaving it out produces a noticeably flatter, one-note pasta.
- Frozen peas can go straight into the pan from the freezer, so there’s is no need to thaw them in advance; as they warm through in the hot pasta and sauce in about a minute and stay tender and bright green.
- For a saucier version of this pasta, a reader, Deni, suggested bumping up both the cream cheese (or creme fraiche) and the pasta water proportionally. I tested this and I agree: doubling the cream cheese to 1/3 cup and adding an extra 1/4 cup of pasta water creates a much more abundantly sauced bowl, which is perfect if your family likes lots of sauce to coat the noodles.
- To make this gluten free, swap the pasta for your favorite gluten-free pasta of the same shape. For a dairy-free version, replace the creme fraiche with dairy-free cream cheese or dairy-free ricotta (Kite Hill works well), and use dairy-free parmesan. I’ve tested both swaps and the recipe holds up beautifully in either direction.
Pasta with Ham and Peas (No Cream)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice, such as fettuccine, spaghetti, penne, corkscrew or bowtie
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups small-diced ham
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoon creme fraiche (or cream cheese)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups frozen-defrosted sweet peas
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted boiling to a strong boil. Add the pasta, stirring to avoid sticking. Cook until just under al dente, about 2-3 short of the package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ham and saute until lightly crispy and browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the ham to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Turn the same skillet to low, add garlic and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice, and stir to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- When pasta is just under al dente, carefully remove ½ cup water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
- Turn the skillet heat up to medium, add the pasta, along with the pasta water, salt, and creme fraiche or cream cheese. Simmer on low for 1-2 minutes, or until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce.
- Add the ham, peas, and parmesan cheese, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes for the peas to warm through and the pasta to absorb the remaining sauce. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
- Serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and parsley if desired.
Notes
- Optional serving suggestions: red pepper flakes, chopped fresh parsley.
- Creme Fraiche: The key to this creamy pasta without using cream. You can substitute it with cream cheese, or ricotta or whipped cottage cheese for added protein. Or use dairy free cream cheese or ricotta for a dairy free version.
Absolutely delicious! A perfect spring meal.
Yay, Sheri, so happy to hear this one was a hit. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I loved the pasta. Meal. Easy, tasty an not much clean up!!!!!!
Yay, that sounds like the perfect combo of things, Susan! So happy you enjoyed, and thanks so much for leaving a review!
Really, can I let you know that it’s a favorite of mine and yours is now tops! We’re a family that likes lots of sauce to fill our plate, so I bumped up the Neutschafel cream cheese and pasta water. The flavors are outstanding. Good job, great combination of flavors without the usual addition of pungent herbs to boost flavor ❣️.
Deni, YAY, so happy to hear this one is a hit with your fam. I’m a sauce girl myself, so love the idea of bumping up the cream cheese and pasta water. Thanks so much for the tip and for leaving a review!