This creamy ham pasta is the ultimate quick comfort food - silky ribbons of pasta tossed in a rich parmesan cream sauce with shredded ham leftovers. Ready in under 20 minutes, it's the perfect weeknight dinner that tastes restaurant-worthy with hardly any effort.
Whether you've got leftover cooked ham from Christmas, Easter or any time of year, this creamy pasta is an easy way to stretch a small amount into a quick dinner for 2 or 3.
Inspired by my recent love of making homemade pasta from scratch - it's so easy that I decided to make tagliatelle with my pasta machine to pair with this cheesy creamy sauce. ANYONE can do it! But store-bought is fine too.
And the best thing? It's quick, easy to double up, budget-friendly, and flexible. Use sliced deli ham, roast chicken, or add extra veggies. And the cream cheese makes a luscious sauce without heavy cream.
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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Here's just a handful of reasons why you'll love this creamy ham pasta easy recipe:
- Easily doubled for the whole family
- Creamy without needing double cream
- Under 30-minute meal - perfect for busy weeknights!
- A great way to use leftover ham or other cooked meats
- Perfect recipe to make from scratch (or use store bought pasta)
- One pan for sauce + one pan for pasta = minimal washing up
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Fresh tagliatelle pasta - fresh cooks in just 2-3 minutes, but tagliatelle or even dried pasta works fine (just adjust cook time). Alternatively, you could use tagliolini with your pasta machine.
Ham hock - cooked and shredded. Leftover gammon, bacon lardons, or sliced ham all work as swaps.
Cream cheese - makes the sauce silky and light compared to cream.
Parmesan cheese - gives a salty, nutty depth. Don't skip! But don't season the dish with additional salt as it's not needed).
Milk - loosens the sauce without watering it down. I recommend using full fat milk
Onion & garlic - to flavour the base. Or try shallots for a sweeter taste.
📋 Instructions
Follow these easy steps to make your creamy ham pasta:
1. Sauté onion in butter/oil until soft, then add garlic for 20-30 seconds.
2. Add shredded ham hock and warm through.
Stir in cream cheese and the splash of milk until smooth, then melt in Parmesan.
3. Cook the tagliatelle pasta in a large pot of salted water on a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes until it floats to the top. (reserve ½ cup of pasta water).
This should be al dente, with a slight bite but not chewy.
4. Add the ½ cup of pasta water to the cheese and ham mixture, then drain and toss the pasta into the sauce, the black pepper and stir well before serving with fresh parsley.
Tip: Add a drizzle of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, crispy breadcrumbs (pangrattato) if you wish to enhance the flavours in the parmesan sauce.
👩🍳 Substitutions
- Pasta - use any shape you like: spaghetti, penne, fusilli, taglioni (long noodles), fettucine.
- Ham - swap for cooked chicken, bacon, or smoked salmon.
- Cream cheese - mascarpone, ricotta, or a splash of double cream.
- Vegetarian - skip the ham and parmesan and add mushrooms, peas, diced bell pepper, etc and vegetarian cheese.
⚖️ Variations
- Spicy - add a pinch of chilli flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
- Deluxe - stir through cooked pancetta, peas, sweetcorn, or sautéed mushrooms.
- Extra cheesy - stir in mozzarella for that divine stringy, cheesy texture.
- Flavour boost - add chicken broth if you wish
🔪 Equipment
- Pasta maker if you're feeling adventurous
- Large saucepan for pasta
- Frying pan/skillet for sauce
- Wooden spoon & tongs
- Cheese grater
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
❄️ Storage
Storing - best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge 2-3 days.
Freezing - not recommended (cream cheese sauces split when reheated).
Reheating - gently on the hob with a splash of milk or more cream cheese to loosen, or microwave until hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- Always save a little pasta water to create silky sauces
- To prevent pasta from sticking while cooking, a rule of thumb is to use 10g salt per 1 litre
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavour and meltability
- Don't overcook fresh pasta - it only needs 2-3 minutes
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with garlic bread, a crisp green salad, or roasted vegetables. It also pairs beautifully with a glass of chilled wine.
❓ FAQ
Yes, just cook according to the packet instructions (usually 8-10 minutes) first, then continue with the sauce as written.
It's best fresh, but you can prep the sauce and reheat gently with extra milk before tossing with pasta.
Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano are excellent alternatives.
➕ More Pasta Recipes
Looking for more quick pasta dishes? Try these:
🍽️ Pairing
This pasta goes perfectly with my homemade garlic bread or simple green salad.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Creamy Ham and Cheese Pasta {Tagliatelle Recipe}
Equipment
- pasta maker optional
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Red onion diced (or shallot)
- 200 g Cooked ham shredded or diced
- 80 g Cream cheese
- 50 ml Milk
- 30 g Parmesan cheese grated
- 200 g Fresh tagliatelle Or 150-200g dried tagliatelle
- Pinch Black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the diced onion in oil until soft, then add garlic for 20-30 seconds.1 clove garlic, 1 Red onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add shredded ham hock and warm through.Stir in cream cheese and the splash of milk until smooth, then melt in Parmesan.200 g Cooked ham, 80 g Cream cheese, 50 ml Milk, 30 g Parmesan cheese
- Cook the tagliatelle pasta in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes until it floats to the top. (reserve ½ cup of pasta water).200 g Fresh tagliatelle
- Add the ½ cup of pasta water to the cheese and ham mixture, then drain and toss the pasta into the sauce, the black pepper and stir well before serving with fresh parsley.Pinch Black pepper
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
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