Everyday Cooking Adventures' Creamy Pasta with Leftover Ham & Asparagus

I remade my family’s delicious baked ham recipe this week before releasing this recipe in my brand new cookbook, Holiday Cooking for New Cooks: Tips, Tricks and Recipes, on Amazon.com/Kindle (Now Available!). However, since there has been a lot of leftover ham sitting in the refrigerator. I’ve had ham and cheese baked crescent rolls, ham and cheese open-faced melts, plain sliced baked ham alongside veggies and potatoes, and last night, finally finished it off with this pasta recipe.

Boiling the kale and asparagus ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

I used fresh kale from our garden (yippee!) and sliced up a thick slice of ham to dice it up for the recipe. The prep time is minimal and I made enough for leftovers for lunch tomorrow. You could use deli ham if you didn’t have leftover cooked ham to use up. Just warm it in the saucepan for 2 to 3 minutes since it is thinner. The recipe came out looking very springtime-y and the flavors melded nicely together. The pasta wasn’t overly creamy like a bechamel type sauce would make it and the veggies kept from getting limp. This recipe would be great for after an Easter or holiday meal where you had some leftover ham. Here’s my creamy ham and vegetable pasta:

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Creamy Pasta with Ham, Kale & Asparagus

Recipe By: Everyday Cooking Adventures, 2013

Serves: 3 – 4
Prep Time: 5 – 8 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice
Asparagus, 4-5 stalks, tough ends removed, cut into 1″ chunks
Kale or swiss chard, stems removed, leaves sliced thinly lengthwise
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup diced, pre-cooked ham (use leftovers from a ham steak or whole-cooked ham)
1/3 cup or 2 1/2 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup water
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Optional: 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water to boil. Once boiling, add the asparagus and kale or swiss chard. Let cook at a rolling simmer for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a sieve or colander and let water come back to a boil.

2. Add pasta, bring back to a slow-boil and let cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-heat, do not let brown. Add the ham, cover the saucepan and let steam/cook for 5 minutes to warm the ham, stirring occasionally.

3. Drain pasta in same colander as vegetables. Put the saucepan back on the stovetop. Add the cream cheese and water and whisk to combine over low heat about 3 minutes. Add the pasta and vegetables, ham, and salt and black pepper to taste and toss to combine. Optionally, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and/or fresh parsley. Serve immediately.