20-Minute Ham & Peas Pasta

Overhead shot of a white oval dish with cooked spaghetti, cubed, ham, peas, and parmesan cheese. The dish is surrounded by a striped kitchen towel, a block of cheese, a plate with parsley, and a small wooden bowl with red pepper flakes.

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!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword pasta, pasta with ham and peas

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 451

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

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

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.

Nutrition