Get the Recipe: Ham and Tomato Pasta
A perfect destination for your leftover ham, this tomato and ham pasta uses ham to bulk up a simple rose tomato sauce and 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
Note 1: Leftover cooked ham is perfect for this dish. You could also pick up a ham steak or half ham and cube it up. In a pinch, thick-sliced deli ham will work just fine.
Note 2: Look for jars of passata with the pasta sauces at most grocery stores. Passata can also be labelled tomato purée. Canned crushed tomatoes would be a decent substitute.
Note 3: While you can use any pasta you have or enjoy, I think a short pasta such as penne or rigatoni works nicely with this sauce.
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.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for substitution suggestions, step-by-step photos and a recipe video that you might find helpful. I've also included some great ideas for what to serve alongside this pasta!
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 673kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 621mg, Potassium: 1145mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1456IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 5mg
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