Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (16 oz) Penne or Rotini pasta
- 8 oz Diced ham (buy a small ham steak and dice it yourself for better value)
- 1 ½ cups Frozen sweet peas
- 1 Small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- ½ cup Whole milk or heavy cream
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- Optional: Grated parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pound of pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it reaches an “al dente” texture. Before draining, carefully scoop out about half a cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander for a moment.
- In the same pot you used for the pasta, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes translucent and soft. Stir in the minced garlic and the diced ham. Sauté these ingredients together for another 3 minutes until the ham begins to brown slightly around the edges, which releases more savory flavor into the base of your sauce.
- Turn the heat down to low. Pour in the milk (or cream) and the reserved pasta water. Stir gently to pick up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the frozen peas directly into the liquid. The residual heat from the sauce will cook the peas perfectly in about 2 minutes without making them mushy. Season the mixture with black pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta back into the pot with the ham and pea mixture. Toss everything thoroughly using large spoons or tongs. Continue to stir over low heat for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly and coats every piece of pasta. If the sauce looks too thick, add another splash of milk. Serve immediately while hot.
- Cook Time: 25 minutes