20-Minute Ham & Peas Pasta
Pasta with ham and peas is the perfect dish for when you want something quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. Perfect for deli or leftover ham, it uses frozen peas and a light sauce that’s made without cream for a 20-minute pasta dinner that feels like it came from your favorite restaurant!
5 star review
“I loved the pasta. Meal. Easy, tasty an not much clean up!!!!!!”
– Susan
Pasta with Ham & Peas is So Simple Yet So Delicious!
The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so simple and quick, making it a great last minute dinner idea. I created this recipe because I wanted a quick and easy 20-minute dinner that used pantry staples, and was light as well as filling. If you’ve ever had ham and pea pasta carbonara (or Pasta alla Papalina in Italian), this is a very similar but simplified dish, without the cream and eggs.
For this recipe, all you need is some pasta, ham, peas, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, creme fraiche and Parmesan cheese – ingredients many of us have lying around in our pantries and fridges. The stars of this creamy ham and pea pasta are the frozen peas and ham! Now hear me out — don’t underestimate the power of frozen sweet peas.
I love leaning on frozen peas in recipes for plant-based protein as well as adding a little bit of sweetness, crunchy texture, and pop of color, and sweet peas are also the star of another reader favorite, super-fast green pea pasta. The ham offers a delicious rich flavor and this recipe is the perfect opportunity to use leftover ham from my slow cooker ham recipe. This is truly a surprisingly flavorful dish for how simple the prep and ingredient list are!
Visual Guide: Let’s Make Ham and Pea Pasta!
Tips & Tricks
As I mentioned, this recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham – simply cut the ham in 1-2 inch slices and then 1-2 inch cubes. However, you don’t have to wait until you have leftovers to make this dish. You can ask for 4-5 2-inch slices of ham (about 1.5 pounds) at your deli counter and dice it at home. Some stores may sell pre-diced ham, however, that is not my preferred method, but it works in a pinch.
To save time and enhance the flavor, the recipe calls for crisping the diced ham in the pan first, which adds a depth of flavor and crispy texture without a lot of extra time. The one ingredient you may not have on hand is creme fraiche, but that can easily be substituted with cream cheese, cottage cheese, or whipped cottage cheese. To get this meal on the table fast and save on dishes, you’ll toss the pasta with pasta water in the same pan you cooked the ham.
While I think spaghetti or linguine works best to catch the sauce, feel free to use any pasta shape you like, whether that’s penne, corkscrew, or bowtie.Finally, take this dish up a notch by topping it with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and/or lots of fresh ground black pepper.
Make It Gluten Free + Dairy Free
Use your favorite gluten free pasta to easily make this dish gluten free. For a dairy free version, replace the creme fraiche with dairy free ricotta or cream cheese, and the parmesan cheese with dairy free parmesan.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta: I used linguine for this recipe because I like how well that pasta shape captures the creamy sauce. However, you can use your favorite pasta shape.
- Ham: Use leftover ham or slices of ham from your deli. Dice into 1-2 inch cubes.
- Creme fraiche: The key to this creamy pasta without using cream. You can substitute it with cream cheese, or whipped cottage cheese for added protein. Or use dairy free cream cheese or ricotta for a dairy free version.
- Parmesan cheese: Try to use freshly grated parmesan if you can. For a dairy free version, use dairy free parmesan cheese.
- Peas: Use fresh, or frozen defrosted.
This Recipe is…
20-Minute Ham & Peas Pasta
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
- See blog post, above, for substitution suggestions including dairy free and gluten free.
- Optional serving suggestions: red pepper flakes, chopped fresh parsley.
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!