Pasta With Ham Sauce

Pasta with a light and creamy ham sauce. This super simple and easy recipe is kid-friendly, quick to make, and perfect for busy weeknights.

The ham sauce is basically a kind of béchamel sauce. Although the recipe is so simple, it tastes very special. Simple can be so good!

You can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking or ahead of time. It’s good to let the sauce stand for a while so it can thicken up a bit more. It also depends on the consistency you want. You can also cook the sauce the night before, giving it time to infuse and making it taste even better.

Cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, sugar snap peas, or green peas, go well as a side dish. If you like, you can cook the vegetables at the end along with the pasta. This may increase the cook time of the pasta, especially if using frozen vegetables.

If you aren’t a meat eater, I think it might be totally fine to substitute the ham in the sauce for vegetables. I haven’t tried it yet, but please let me know if you do! You might need to adjust the cook time to get the vegetables fully cooked.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by giving it a star rating and leaving a comment below. Or snap a photo and tag @teatimeontheporch on Instagram so I can see it! I’d love to see your pasta with ham sauce!

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Pasta With Ham Sauce

By Christina

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Pasta with a light and creamy ham sauce. This super simple and easy recipe is kid-friendly, quick to make, and perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked pasta, such as fusilli

For the Ham Sauce

• 3 tablespoons (23 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) whole milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 pound cooked or smoked ham, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt (see notes below!)
• Scant 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
• Optional: scant 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to package instructions while making the ham sauce.
• For the Ham Sauce: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour and 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the milk until smooth. Add the remaining 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) milk while stirring. Stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the cubed ham, increase the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 4 minutes again, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, and optionally nutmeg.
• Divide the pasta into serving bowls and pour the ham sauce on top. Serve with cooked vegetables as a side dish, if desired.

Notes

Storage Instructions: The ham sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Make-Ahead Instructions: This meal is great to make ahead, whether the same day or the night before.

Serving Tip: Serve with cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, sugar snap peas, or green peas, as a side dish, if desired. If you like, you can cook the vegetables at the end along with the pasta. This may increase the cook time of the pasta, especially if using frozen vegetables.

Salt: Adjust the amount of salt, if necessary, depending on the salt content of the type of meat used.

Adapted from recepten.se.

Did You Make This Recipe?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please leave a comment below. Or snap a photo and tag @teatimeontheporch on Instagram so I can see it!