Use up the last of the holiday ham in this simple but delicious Creamy Leftover Ham Pasta. It’s a leftover ham recipe that everyone will love.
Leftover ham may be one of the joys of the holidays. There it sits, salty, sweet and ready to eat. But eventually there comes a time when you must do something with the final vestiges of the holiday ham and that’s where this creamy leftover ham pasta comes in.
How to make a cream sauce
The cream sauce in this recipe is basically a bechamel sauce. Bechamel is one of those “mother sauces” that the French love.
Making a bechamel is simple. You simply melt butter in a skillet, add in an equal amount of flour and then whisk in liquid (usually a dairy) to make a thick sauce.
That’s exactly what I’ve done here, with a couple little tweaks to save time and dirty dishes.
Saute onion in butter brown the ham stir in flour whisk in broth and cream stir in the broccoli and toss in the pasta
Creamy Pasta Add-ins
I’m one of those that demands something green be on the plate with dinner, even if its mainly a decorative. The addition of broccoli here is totally optional and customizable. Green peas would be totally acceptable or even some frozen spinach if you are against the broccoli addition.
Other Leftover Ham Recipes
Equipment: I use a large braising pan for this recipe which is basically a large deep skillet with a lid.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta penne, cavatappi, orechettie, etc.
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cup cubed ham
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups steamed broccoli
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet or pot, melt the butter and oil together. Saute the onion until softened. Add the ham and saute until the ham is browned.
- Sprinkle the flour over the ham and continue to cook for a minute while stirring. Whisk in the chicken broth and scrap any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, broccoli and Parmesan.
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary. With a strainer or large slotted spoon, add the pasta directly from the cooking liquid to the sauce. Toss it all together until all of the pasta is coated evenly.
- Sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired and serve.
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