Fresh vegetables, ham and curly pasta noodles are tossed in a simple cream sauce to make this quick skillet meal. The sauce is very light and just creamy enough without weighing the dish down and making it too heavy.
My kids absolutely love this meal and I love that it’s a great way to get a whole lot of vegetables onto their plates.
This recipe is one of my favorite ways to use bits of vegetables and leftover meats from the refrigerator. I’ve been making different versions of this dish for as long as I can remember. I usually serve this pasta without any meat at all, but I’ve added roast chicken as well.
This time, we all gave the ham two thumbs up and my kids declared this their new favorite pasta. In the summer, I make this with our abundance of summer squash. It can also be made with onions and/or fresh garlic, fresh herbs or dried.
However, we make it, this is always a hit.
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Ham and Vegetable Pasta Skillet with a Light Cream Sauce
8ouncespasta of your choiceI used multi-colored gluten free spiral noodles.
1small head of broccolicut into small florets
1large red bell peppercut into small thin strips
2cupscrimini or button mushroomsquartered
2cupshamchopped into 1/2" pieces
1/2teaspoonkosher saltdivided, adjust to taste
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperdivided, adjust to taste
1/2cupheavy cream
1/4teaspoondried thyme
1/4teaspoongranulated garlic or garlic powder
1/2cupPecorino Romano or Parmesan cheesefreshly grated, add more to taste
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions (approximately 6-10 minutes) and then drain the pasta. Stir together the cream, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set the cream mixture aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the broccoli and 2 tablespoons of water and cover with lid. Allow the broccoli steam for 1-2 minutes, until bright green and almost tender. Remove the lid and add the peppers and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, letting the vegetables brown a bit between tossing each time. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. When the vegetables are cooked, but still crisp, remove them to a bowl.
Add the ham to the hot skillet and allow it to brown for a minute or so before stirring. When the ham pieces are hot and lightly browned, add the cream to the skillet. Let it simmer and slightly thicken for 1-2 minutes, until it coats the ham pieces. Add the vegetables, toss to coat and then stir in the pasta. Let the sauce cook for another 2-3 minutes as needed, to thoroughly coat the pasta. (If the pasta is too dry, add a small splash of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.)
Grate cheese over the top of the pasta and toss to combine and melt the cheese. Serve with additional cheese sprinkled on top, if desired. Enjoy!
Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.
My family loved this tonight! I will admit I bumped up the seasoning a bit because they like stronger flavor than most. But that is our preference and the flavors whether as written or a bit more intense are amazing. Definitely a keeper at our house! Thank you for sharing!
Velva says
Another great family dish. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Velva
Magnolia Verandah says
Perfect lunch for school holidays – filling and healthy.
Kim Honeycutt says
Sounds good as is and also a good base to change up if you want to. Pinning it!
Gayle says
My family loved this tonight! I will admit I bumped up the seasoning a bit because they like stronger flavor than most. But that is our preference and the flavors whether as written or a bit more intense are amazing. Definitely a keeper at our house! Thank you for sharing!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Gayle.