Jump to:
🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the ham fettucine alfredo with peas recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: everything you need to make the ham pasta can be sort from your local grocery store. Some are pantry staples that you may already have and the rest are everyday ingredients that will be easy to get your hands on.
- Family friendly: this simple ham pasta will be enjoyed by everyone from young to young at heart. The whole family will love it! It is an easy dinner recipe that will tick a lot of boxes!
- Easy recipe: everyone from all chef levels will be able to master this easy recipe. We simply create a sauce, add some pasta, creamy ham and toss the whole thing together. There is nothing too tricky or difficult about the recipe.
- Weeknight friendly: if you are looking for home cooked pasta for busy nights this is it! It is the perfect recipe to make on a busy weeknight when everyone is hungry but you don’t want to order in. Alfredo with ham will become your new go to and you will find yourself making it again and again and again!!
- Back to basics: when you have leftover ham you need a variety of ways to use it up to keep things interesting. This simple pasta recipe allows the ham to shine and yet is very easy to bring together delivering delicious taste and texture.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Butter: we want to use unsalted butter. This is because we add salt separately when making the sauce.
- Salt: we use a little bit of salt for seasoning in the recipe.
- Garlic: you can use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, chunky chopped garlic as you see in the photo above or jarred minced garlic. Opt for whichever is the most convenient for you.
- Cream: we want to use heavy cream for the recipe not half and half or milk. It is the key ingredient to make the creamy alfredo sauce and we are looking for a thick delicious result!
- Parmesan cheese: finely grated using a micro plane zester is best. We add some to the sauce and then use some to garnish the finished dish when serving.
- Peas: we use frozen peas. These thaw and cook in the sauce so there is no need to defrost them first.
- Ham: leftover glazed ham is a great choice! (ie from the Bourbon Glazed Ham). Or you can use store bought ham and dice it into chunky pieces.
- Parsley: either flat leaf parsley or curly parsley finely chopped with the stems removed.
- Fettuccine: a long pasta that is thicker than spaghetti and perfect for using in creamy sauces.
Top Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the ham alfredo pasta. We start by melting the butter to make the homemade alfredo sauce.
- Melt the butter (Photo 1)
- Add the garlic and salt (Photo 2)
- Add the cream (Photo 3)
- Then add the cheese (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Ham Fettuccine Alfredo
To make the ham fettuccine alfredo we start by making the sauce. To do so place a large sauté pan on the stove top, turning the heat to high and adding the butter.
Once the butter is melted add the garlic and salt. Cook these, stirring as you go for around 1-2 minutes.
Then pour the cream into the pan, followed by the cheese. Now turn the temperature down to low heat and stir as the cheese melts.
- Add frozen peas (Photo 5)
- Then reserve the pasta water (Photo 6)
- Add the drained pasta (Photo 7)
- Then add the reserved pasta water (Photo 8)
Once the sauce is consistently combined add the frozen peas to the pasta, these will quickly thaw and can be simply stirred in.
At the same time as doing this you can read and follow the packet directions to cook the fettuccine. Use a medium saucepan and boiling salted water 😉👌.
Once it is almost ready use a heatproof jug to scoop out 1-2 cups of the pasta water like you see me doing in the photo above.
Then use a colander over the sink and drain the rest of the pasta and discard that water.
🍝 Fettuccine Alfredo With Ham
Next add the hot pasta to the creamy sauce, measure ½ cup (125ml) of the reserved pasta water and add that in to the pan.
- Add the diced ham to the pan (Photo 9)
Next add the cubes of ham to the creamy fettuccine like you see me about to do in the photo above and once done add the chopped parsley like you see in the photo below.
- Add the chopped parsley to the pan (Photo 10)
Once you have added the ham and parsley to the pan you can give it a toss to combine, allow the ham to heat through and then garnish the dish with black pepper and parmesan like you see below.
- Heat and garnish the dish (Photo 11)
Now that the pasta is ready you can call everyone to the table as ‘Dinner is ready!’. Grab some bowls, forks and spoons and get ready to dive in 😄👍.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftover pasta in a sealed, airtight container. It can be kept for 2-3 days and needs to be reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
I find that the pasta doesn’t taste as good frozen and then reheated as it does fresh.
To avoid this issue you can choose to freeze the leftover diced ham and then thaw and use it when making the recipe.
How to Reheat
Add leftovers to a bowl and cover them with cling wrap. Then reheat in the microwave using high heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won’t:
- If you want to use a different type of pasta some good options are spaghetti, linguine or tagliatelle.
- Or you can use your favorite pasta including fresh pasta from the fridge section not dried from the pasta aisle.
- If you want to use dried herbs in place of the fresh parsley, you can add some dried parsley, oregano or Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon) to the cream just before adding the parmesan cheese.
- Omit the peas or switch in some sliced and pan fried asparagus for a different vegetable or add some sliced mushrooms or snap peas.
- Of for more of the same, you can increase the frozen peas to 2 cups if you wish too.
- Or add some spinach towards the end and simply let it wilt. (Arugula will work too!).
- If you don’t have leftover ham to use you can use deli ham or diced ham steak, both offer good alternatives.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- After adding the parmesan cheese to the pan when making the alfredo sauce, we want to turn the heat down to allow the cheese to gently melt whilst we make the pasta.
- We want the pasta to be al dente. Which means a little chewy or having a little bite to it. So when you think it is almost ready, take a piece out and test it.
- You will find it easier to scoop out more pasta water than you need ie 1-2 cups and then measure the ½ cup from what you have taken out when you are ready to add it to the hot pan.
- If the sauce has thickened a little by the time you come to add the pasta, give it a quick stir and it will smooth out in no time.
- Love making alfredo sauce? Then you might also like the Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce, Linguine Alfredo, Rigatoni Alfredo, Penne Alfredo or the Macaroni Alfredo 😉👌.
- Or if you love rice dishes, try the Chorizo Fried Rice, Pork Mince Fried Rice, Shrimp And Chicken Fried Rice or the Pork Belly Fried Rice 👍.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Can cooked ham be frozen?
Yes, cooked ham can be frozen. Simply use a knife to cut the ham from the bone and then dice the cut ham into chunks. Place these chunks into sealed, airtight containers, push the air out and seal. Leftover ham can be frozen for up to 3 months.
What meat to serve with Alfredo?
Some meats that can be used for protein in alfredo recipes are meatballs, grilled chicken, smoked salmon, ham, bacon or prawns.
What pairs with fettuccine alfredo?
Mushrooms, peas and asparagus are all good vegetables that pair well with fettuccine alfredo. A chilled white wine or crisp rose also work nicely alongside the dish.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
I like to help you keep things inspired and interesting on the dinner table. To achieve that we need a number of recipes to turn to offering diversity. These recipes have different proteins, cook times and methods involved:
It is time to get our alfredo on my friend! You can also find all of my comfort food recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
📖 Recipe
Ham Fettucine Alfredo
Ham Fettuccine Alfredo is a quick and easy pasta! With a creamy sauce, chunks of ham, peas and fettuccine we create a delicious dinner recipe.
Servings: 4
Calories: 1006kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 40 grams/ 3 tablespoons butter unsalted, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon garlic chunky chopped, minced or diced, Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon salt Note 3
- 1 cup/250 ml heavy cream Note 4
- 1 cup parmesan cheese Note 5
- 1 cup frozen peas Note 6
- 4 cups diced ham Note 7
- 500 grams/ 1 pound fettuccine Note 8
- ⅓ cup parsley stems removed, leaves finely chopped, Note 9
Garnish
- black pepper
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
-
Alfredo sauce: place a large sauté pan on the stove top, turn the heat to high and add the butter. Let the butter melt and when it has add the garlic and salt. Stir and let these cook for 1 minutes. Next pour the cream into the pan, then add the parmesan cheese and turn the heat down to low. Stir occasionally as the cheese melts, till the sauté is consistently combined.
-
Peas: next add the frozen peas to the pan and stir these into the sauce, allowing them to thaw and heat through.
-
Fettuccine: read and follow the packet instructions to cook the fettuccine in a large sauce pan of boiling salted water. Moments before the pasta is al dente (a little bit chewy) use a heatproof jug to scoop out 1-2 cups of the pasta water. Then use a colander over the sink to drain the pasta and discard the rest of the water.
-
Combine: add the drained pasta to the alfredo sauce, measure and add ½ cup of the pasta water then use a pair of tongs to toss and combine.
-
Ham and parley: add the chunks of diced ham to the pan, followed by the chopped parsley. Then use the tongs again to toss and combine.
-
To serve: when the ham is heated through garnish the dish with some freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Provide bowls, forks and spoons for serving.
Notes
- Note 1 – Butter: we want to use unsalted butter. This is because we add salt separately when making the sauce.
- Note 2 – Garlic: you can use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, chunky chopped garlic as you see in the photo above or jarred minced garlic. Opt for whichever is the most convenient for you.
- Note 3 – Salt: we use a little bit of salt for seasoning in the recipe.
- Note 4 – Cream: we want to use heavy cream for the recipe not half and half or milk.
- Note 5 – Parmesan cheese: finely grated using a micro plane zester is best. We add some to the sauce and then use some to garnish the finished dish when serving.
- Note 6 – Peas: we use frozen peas and add these to the pan ‘frozen’. They thaw and heat very quickly in the hot sauce.
- Note 7 – Ham: leftover glazed ham is a great choice! (ie from the Bourbon Glazed Ham). Or you can use store bought ham and dice it into chunky pieces.
- Note 8 – Fettuccine: a long pasta that is thicker than spaghetti and perfect for using in creamy sauces. Can substitute with spaghetti or linguine.
- Note 9 – Parsley: either flat leaf parsley or curly parsley finely chopped with the stems removed.
Nutrition
Calories: 1006kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 2141mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1675IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 394mg | Iron: 4mg
