Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta

A delicious one pot Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta recipe, ready in just 15 minutes. Perfect for quick and easy mid-week meals!

I asked recently on Instagram what kind of recipes you want to see more of and the vast majority of people said quick and easy meals! I’m all about having an arsenal of super simple dinners that can be whipped up in one pot in less than 15 minutes so I’m really pleased to share even more! 

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This Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta is one of the kids’ favourite dinners at the moment. It’s made from just a few very simple ingredients that I always seem to have on hand:

• pasta
• frozen peas
• cream cheese
• ham
• stock cube and garlic granules

STEP 1:

Add the pasta and stock cube to a large pan, cover with boiling water and cook according to the pasta package instructions. The stock cube helps to add some flavour to the pasta while it cooks.

STEP 2:

For the last 3 minutes of cooking, add some frozen peas to the pot. Then drain but retain a small cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

Why Use Pasta Water?

When making your own sauce for pasta, the water leftover from cooking the pasta will be a fantastic ingredient to add. The starch in the water will help to make a lovely silky sauce that will bind better to the pasta. Don’t throw it all away, it really is incredible!

STEP 3:

Add in the cream cheese and add a splash of the retained pasta water. Mix until the cheese has melted and you get the right consistency of sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary.

Add in the ham and garlic granules and mix again.

And that’s it. It really is that easy! There’s lots of substitutions and variations that you can do too.

Substitutions:

1. It’s easy to make this gluten or dairy free. Simply use gluten free pasta and dairy free cream cheese.

2. Feel free to add some grated cheese to the sauce or on top for extra cheesy-ness!

3. Don’t have frozen peas? Don’t worry, try adding some tinned sweetcorn or leftover cooked veggies instead.

If you try my Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta recipe please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on on Instagram.  I always love to see your creations!

You may also like my roundup of other 15 Minute Meals that kids love!

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Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta

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• Author: Ciara Attwell
• Prep Time: 2 mins
• Cook Time: 13 mins
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

A delicious one pot Creamy Ham & Pea Pasta recipe, ready in just 15 minutes. Perfect for quick and easy mid-week meals!

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Ingredients

• 350g pasta
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 150g frozen peas
• 120g cream cheese
• 100g chopped ham
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Add the pasta and stock cube to a large pan, cover with boiling water and cook according to the pasta package instructions. The stock cube helps to add some flavour to the pasta while it cooks.
2. For the last 3 minutes of cooking, add some frozen peas to the pot. Then drain but retain a small cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
3. Add in the cream cheese and add a splash of the retained pasta water. Mix until the cheese has melted and you get the right consistency of sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary.
4. Add in the ham and garlic granules and mix again.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately with some green veg or salad.