Turn leftover ham into a cozy and delicious dinner with this creamy ham and tomato pasta. Tender cubes of ham simmer on the stovetop in a rich passata-based sauce, finished with cream, Parmesan and plenty of garlic and a touch of crushed red pepper warmth.
Ready in just a few simple steps and perfect with penne pasta (or any short pasta you have on hand), this leftover ham pasta delivers a hearty, lightly smoky and beautifully balanced bowl of comfort that feels anything but “leftovers”.
If you’re looking for something different to do with leftover ham that isn’t ham in cream sauce or a sandwich, look no further! Ham combines seamlessly with a classic tomato sauce for a delicious and extra-hearty pasta dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Ham – Leftover cooked ham is perfect for this pasta, but you don’t need to wait for leftover ham. Pick up a ham steak, a half ham or even thick-sliced deli ham to use here.
Passata – Passata is uncooked, pureed tomatoes that have been strained of seeds and skins. Look for passata in jars with the pasta sauce at most grocery stores. I love Mutti brand passata. Tomato puree and crushed tomatoes would be good substitutes for passata.
Cream – heavy whipping cream will produce the creamiest dish, while also contributing a lovely texture. That said, feel free to reach for a lighter cream such as half-and-half cream (10%) if you like.
Pasta – While you can use any pasta you have or enjoy, I think a short pasta such as penne or rigatoni is nice with this sauce.
How to make ham and tomato pasta
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil, then add the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until tender.
- Add the ham to the pan and cook briefly, then add the passata.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then allow to simmer to reduce and blend the flavours.
- Add the pasta to salted, boiling water and cook per the package instructions to al dente.
- Once the sauce has simmer, add the cream and Parmesan and stir in.
- Spoon the cooked pasta into the sauce.
- Stir the pasta into the sauce and allow to simmer together for at least 2 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe video
Recipe tips!
- Keep in mind that ham will bring its own saltiness to the pasta sauce, so you’ll probably find you’ll need to add a bit less salt to the sauce.
- How big or small you cube the ham is up to you. I usually go for a 1/4-inch dice, but you can go smaller or larger, as you like.
Serving suggestions
Like most pasta dinners, some garlic bread on the side is always welcome. My pull-apart garlic cheese bread would be perfect! For a simpler bread, you can’t go wrong with focaccia, such as my mini garlic and herb focaccia or my herb and garlic focaccia bread.
For a side salad, a classic Caesar salad, or maybe a roasted broccoli Caesar salad, for a twist on the classic.
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Get the Recipe: Ham and Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, to taste for heat
- 5-6 oz cooked ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 cup well-packed) *see Note 1 below
- 680 ml tomato passata, purée *see Note 2 below
- 12 oz penne pasta, about 3 1/2 cups *see Note 3 below
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus more for garnish
- salt and pepper, not too much salt as ham is salty
For serving:
- fresh basil, chopped
- Additional grated Parmigiano cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. To a large skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until shallots and garlic soften but are not yet brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ham and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
- Tip! Ham will bring some natural saltiness to this sauce, so add only as much additional salt as needed. I find it best to keep the salt to a minimum until the end of cooking. Taste and add, as needed.
- Add the passata to the skillet, along with 2-3 Tablespoons of the boiling salted water from the pasta pot. Season the sauce with a touch of salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain well (or preferably use a spider strainer to transfer the cooked pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce, when ready.)
- Reduce the heat under the sauce to low and add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat. Allow the pasta to cook with the sauce for at least 2 minutes. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish or platter and serve topped with fresh basil and additional Parmesan.
Notes
Adapted from a NYT recipe
More leftover ham recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
