Ham and Cheese Pasta With a Handful of Peas Recipe (2024)

Loved this. To the ham, I added onion and minced garlic. I also zested a lemon into the pasta for brightness. Next time, I may add breadcrumbs to the top and set it under a broiler for crunch.Years ago, I was working on my mac & cheese recipe and was advised to shred my own cheese, as pre-shredded cheese has a coating that affects creaminess. With that in mind, I shredded a block of Swiss for this recipe and added a large splash of pasta water, so I didn't encounter an issue with "globbing.

This was SO. GOOD. I used a mix of cheddar and provolone cheeses (because that's what I had) and deglazed the pan I cooked the ham in with a splash of white wine to scrape up all the browned bits.

The Swiss is a mistake, it globs together into a solid mass taking with it all the peas and ham. Gruyere as suggested by Peggy is the way to go, or a mixture of both.

I’m hooked on the “no recipe” recipes! This was quick, easy and tasty! Added a minced shallot and one garlic clove to ham. Might do a small dollop is Dijon next time!

Have made this twice now, once with Swiss, the second with Jarlsberg. Love the taste of both, but the melted Jarlsberg is much easier to clean off of plates and utensils. Swiss seems to adhere itself much more and takes some elbow grease to remove. Also appreciate the mild, nutty flavor of Jarlsberg. Thinking of trying this with asparagus tips instead of peas.

Based on what was in my pantry & fridge, diced up several slices of Easter ham, chopped some fresh asparagus, & had handful of diced onion. Threw it all in a hot skillet with a little olive oil & butter. Boiled the last a half of a box of rigatoni while shredded a half cup of gruyere & a half cup of good white cheddar. Deglazed skillet with a little pasta water & tossed all together while piping hot. Topped with black pepper and grated Parmesan. Delicious, fast, & easy. Hit with the fam.

Delicious! I used shredded Swiss and I added garlic and lemon zest, I decided it could use another veggie so I put in some cauliflower, I also used pre cubed pancetta that I found at Trader Joe’s and rigatoni instead of shells because I already had it in my pantry. I prepped ahead and then baked at 400 until it bubbled. I think you could use any veggies or meat, I may try with cubed chicken, broccoli, and red pepper next time :)

I made this to bring to lunch this week. Super quick and cheap! I used a ham steak from the deli and cut it into cubes. I also added some chopped Gouda cheese to it to make it extra cheesy. This is my new meal when the choice between pizza delivery and time are in competition.

I’ve loved this no-recipe since it first appeared. Tinkered with it several times too and it still tastes wonderful. The only suggestion I have is use the best quality Swiss or gruyere cheese - this makes a big difference!

This is what my family calls an ONA. O never again.,,This left big gaps in making a good casserole. Things. Just. never. melded. The cheeses never got fully incorporated. I used jarlsberg and guyere I cooked the pasta and added the organic peas. And pasta H2O. Plus I added a killer chopped green onion to the ham. Put in a little pepper flakes. Fogetabiutit Who are these peeps who cook and send in these recipes. Jezuz H Christ. They need to come and eat in my kitchen in Midwest.

If you’re lucky enough to live where the grocery stores carry country ham steaks, use one of those! (I buy a bunch when I’m in the right part of the country and pack them in a cooler for the trip home—they travel/freeze well)

Made 3/4/19 - good, not great, pretty easy. 16 oz of pasta, 4 serving bag of peas and one ham steak. Could go down to 12 oz of pasta. I used mostly gruyere and a little Jarlsberg totalling about 1.5 c maybe a bit more then added about 3/4 c Parm. Added salt and pepper at the end to bring out more flavor.

I used to make something similar years ago but used cream and Parmesan cheese to toss with the pasta and peas. It worked out well. I like this variation.

Just wonderful. Simple and fun. I used a terrific locally made raclette (I should go look for the name); superb. I also added some fresh garlic, sauteed at the end of browning the ham, because, why not? Next time, I think I'll add a bit more cheese. But not too much.

Next time I'll stuff the shells. Or maybe sprinkle the cheese on top and blend it in. Even though I spread it out in a huge bowl, the cheese melted into globs and stuck to all the peas.

Added lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice, as well as a dallop of Greek yoghurt at serving. Used broccolini instead of peas and whole wheat rotini. Lots of parmesan. Super delicious.

Easy and delicious as written, or note the many good suggestions below. Perfect for self or close friends. Truly comforting.

No reason to not make a béchamel- cheese otherwise will not meld. Made delish sauce with an onion Gruyère and finished with grated Romano.

Annie especially likes this.

Make a bechamel.

Perfectly fine. A one (iron) skillet meal. Used garden grown broccolii w/ garlic & shallot sauteed in olive oil. Removed and wiped out the skillet. Browned the ham chunks in butter. Removed. Added pasta and boiling water. Cooked til almost al dente. Returned other ingredients plus paprika. Added jarlsberg.

Excellent and easy. I used 2 cups of Swiss and it paid off with a pound of pasta.

What about using flour in the butter with some milk and pasta liquid to blend the cheeses?

Loved this recipe but used havarti instead of jarlsberg. So creamy and so delicious.

I think the secret to the cheese not clumping is to use enough pasta water (I used 1/2 cup), mix it all together very quickly while still very hot, and serve right away. I used fontina, which was perfect, and extra large shells cooked al dente.

Did this as a single serving meal. Made a bit of bechamel that while cooling, added a heaping tablespoon of whole grain mustard. I added cracked rosemary to the diced ham and deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine. Mixing some reserved pasta water was key. The acid in the mustard and sweet peas created great balance.

This was divine, we did add a little parmesan on top and it was great!

My good Swiss cheese ended up in a big ole glob, and adding the pasta water only made that worse. The flavors are good, but the cheese situation is problematic.

Jarlsburg did not melt. Why not? Bummer

This is reminiscent of the tuna noodle peas I ate growing up ( and still do when I am feeling forlorn).