Today’s recipe, Ham & Veggie Pasta, is a hearty meal but easy to make for busy weeknights. What makes it superb for summer is all the cooking is in one stove top pot. For summer, I suggest you buy a center cut ham steak of about 1 to 2 pounds. 2 cups of chopped ham is approximately 1 pound; you’ll need 2 1/2 cups for 6 servings. When fall and winter comes, use leftovers from your baked ham. I used a defrosted frozen green peas and carrot mix for my veggies, but you could just use green peas or another vegetable.
I like cute bow tie pasta (Farfalle), but you can change up this recipe by using a different pasta shape or switching out Parmesan for another cheese. If you don’t eat pork, substitute bite-sized pieces of other cooked protein. The sauce is based on low sodium chicken broth and half-and-half. Half-and-half comes in variations, including low-fat and fat-free varieties. Regular half-and-half is 10.5% to 12% fat. Low-fat has 50% less fat than regular half-and-half. Fat-free half-and-half has one-tenth the fat of regular half-and-half. I suggest low fat half-and-half to cut fat but retain the creamy flavor.
One Pot Ham & Veggie Pasta
Use organic when available. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cup low-fat half-and-half
- 1/4 cup flour
- 16 oz package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots defrosted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
- Add onion and ham
- Sauté for about 3 minutes
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
- Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
- Cook for 2 minutes
- Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth
- Pour into the pot of ham mix
- Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes
- Add peas and carrots
- Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes
- Stir in Parmesan cheese
- Optional garnish with chopped parsley
- Serve immediately with bread and a salad
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