Easy Cheesy Leftover Ham Pasta combines cubed ham, peas and carrots, and bowtie ( farfalle ) pasta in a creamy cheese sauce! This quick stove top dinner is a great family meal for busy schedules, or a relaxed weekend get together!
Do you love leftover ham with pasta? Try my creamy Ham and Pea Pasta or my incredible Leftover Ham Casserole with Broccoli and Cheese that offers something for everyone!
Quick and easy cheesy leftover ham pasta is full of hearty flavors from the delicious ham, peas and carrots, and cheese sauce served with bowtie pasta!
Cheesy Leftover Ham Pasta Recipe
This is my lightened up version of a ham and pasta meal. What do I love about it the most? It's a super easy stove top dinner to make in only 20 minutes!
I already love it for being a great way to use up leftover Christmas or Easter holiday ham. Of course, I'll make it 'just because' many other times in the year as well!
If I ever ham too much ham (is there such a thing?) to be able to use up pretty easily in a few leftover ham recipes, I freeze serving size portions that are perfect for using in dinners like this cheesy ham pasta or my hearty ham casseroles.
How To Make Cheesy Leftover Ham Pasta
Start with cooking your pasta in a saucepan. Follow the package instructions and cook your pasta until it reaches an al denté ( firm to the bite, but thoroughly cooked ) texture.
Drain your cooked pasta, rinse it in cool water, then set it aside. If you like, you can leave your rinsed pasta in the strainer and use the same saucepan to make the cheese sauce.
Otherwise, while your pasta is cooking, start the sauce in a large saucepan or pot. Bring the saucepan to medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt.
Add the minced or crushed garlic and sauté until fragrant, or about 1 - 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the diced or cubed ham. Sear the ham with the garlic, if desired, or add with the chicken broth, half & half, and thawed peas and carrots.
Season your sauce with salt and pepper, wait to adjust the seasoning to your taste after the cheeses have been added to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and continue to stir occasionally.
The ham should be warmed through in about 3 - 4 minutes. Once warmed, add the grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Stir until melted and the sauce is smooth.
Finally, add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce to coat all of your pasta evenly.
Garnish with chopped parsley when serving, if desired. Serve your delicious cheesy ham pasta dinner with a side salad and fresh baked quick French bread!
More Leftover Ham Recipes:
Cheesy Leftover Ham Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz bowtie or farfalle pasta (uncooked)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ tablespoon garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- 2 cups ham (diced or cubed)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half & half
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- 2 cups peas and carrots (frozen, thawed - 10 to 12 oz package)
Instructions
- Cook your bowtie (or farfalle) pasta according to the package instructions until they have reached an al dente texture. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, start your sauce in a large saucepan. Start your saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and add the garlic. Stir occasionally while cooking, about 1-2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add the diced ham, sear with the garlic for a minute or two, if desired. Add the chicken broth, half & half, and thawed peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, adjust seasoning later after the cheese has been melted into the sauce.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When the ham is warmed through, about 3-4 minutes, add both the grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Stir until the cheeses are melted.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta evenly. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Carol says
Very tasty. Hit the spot tonight. I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand - same ingredients, different sources. I used a fresh, diced carrot which I sauteed in the butter at the start for about 3 minutes. Added the ham and garlic for a minute then frozen peas. After cooking for about 2 minutes, I added packaged chicken broth and all purpose flour (both dry ingredients) and stirred into the mix then cooked for about a minute. Then added water for the chicken broth and 1% milk instead of half and half. The rest of the recipe was the same except I did not add salt. The ham and chicken broth had enough. Nice creamy sauce that sticks to the pasta. Thank you.