Leftover Ham & Pea Pasta with Creamy Cheese Sauce (from Jan Wilson's Kitchen)

If your leftover Christmas Ham stares you in the face every time you open the fridge, use it up with this quick and easy recipe made with things you may already have in your pantry.

You will need:

2 cups cooked ham, chopped

1 pound DeLallo Shells No. 91 (or Fusilli, or Penne)

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 8 oz container Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

1/2 pint Smith's Heavy Cream

Pinch of Garlic Powder

Pinch of Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup Tillamook Reserve Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1 cup Yoder's Fancy Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

10 oz bag Organic Frozen Peas

 

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Be sure to only cook to al dente.  Add peas to pasta with one minute cooking time remaining.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil at medium high heat in a high-sided 3 quart sautee pan.  Add ham and cook until it starts to brown.

Add stock to pan and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add heavy cream, garlic and onion powders, and salt and pepper.  Turn down heat to medium and bring to a simmer.  Add cheeses and stir until melted.  Turn heat to low and let simmer slowly while pasta finishes cooking.

Drain pasta and peas, reserving a bit of the cooking water, and immediately add to the sauce in the saute pan.  Toss for about a minute to allow sauce to completely coat pasta.  If sauce seems thick, add some reserved pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency.

Serve immediately, garnished with a turn of the pepper mill and a touch of grated parmesan.

Notes:

A short cut of pasta will work best for this dish.  I served this with Pepperidge Farm Garlic Texas Toast, which heats up quickly and is great for soaking up extra sauce.  My family and I gobbled this up so quickly that I didn't have a chance to take a picture.  I enjoyed a glass of AIX Provence Rose 2017 with this dish.

 

 

 

 

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