Ham and Pea Pasta Bake

Ham and Pea Pasta Bake. Baked pasta with fully cooked ham, peas and a cheddar milk sauce. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.

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A straightforward leftover-ham bake

Fully cooked diced ham and peas fold through short pasta in a light cheddar sauce. A brief bake warms the center and gives the top a few browned spots.

The working recipe assumes ham that has been handled and chilled appropriately. It is not a method for a raw ham joint.

Undercook pasta slightly

Penne softens further as it absorbs milk sauce in the oven. Cook it just shy of the package endpoint and drain well.

Use frozen peas without a long separate boil. Their texture after baking is part of the trial.

Ingredients for 6 portions

Step-by-step method

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook 12 oz penne just shy of package tenderness; drain. Grease a nine-by-thirteen-inch dish and combine pasta, 12 oz diced fully cooked ham and 1 1/2 cups peas.
2. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a saucepan, whisk in 3 tbsp flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk and simmer until lightly thick. Off heat stir in 1 cup cheddar, 1 tsp Dijon and 1/4 tsp pepper.
3. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and stir. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, bake about 20–25 minutes until bubbling and reheated ham/casserole center reaches 165°F.
4. Stand five minutes, then divide into six provisional portions. Test sauce coverage, pea tenderness and ham saltiness.

Whisk the cheese sauce

Butter and flour cook briefly before milk is whisked in gradually. Off heat, cheddar melts into the sauce more gently.

Ham and cheese are salty, so taste before adding extra salt; none is specified in the base.

Heat the center

Stir sauce through the dish rather than leaving dry pasta corners. Bake until bubbling and check reheated leftover ham/casserole at 165°F.

A brown cheese top is not proof that the middle is hot. Cover briefly if color develops early.

Serve and keep

Rest five minutes and divide into six dinner portions. A salad can accompany it but is not included in the card.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly. A freeze-thaw or reheating-quality result is not established.

Ham-pasta questions

Is the ham raw?

No. Use fully cooked ham with appropriate leftover handling.

Can I use turkey?

That would overlap the tetrazzini brief and change flavor and labels.

Is mustard essential?

A teaspoon sharpens the sauce; omitting it changes the measured version.

Further reading and related Chefly recipes: NHS ham pasta bake; FDA safe food-handling temperatures. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.

Recipe-card handoff — preview, not a native plugin card

Ham and Pea Pasta Bake. Category: Dinner. 6 portions. Prep approximately 20 minutes; cooking approximately 45 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 5 minutes; total approximately 70 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.

Ingredients: 12 ounces Dry penne; 12 ounces Fully cooked ham, diced; 1 1/2 cups Frozen peas; 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour; 2 1/2 cups Whole milk; 1 1/2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper.

Instructions: Heat oven to 375°F. Cook 12 oz penne just shy of package tenderness; drain. Grease a nine-by-thirteen-inch dish and combine pasta, 12 oz diced fully cooked ham and 1 1/2 cups peas. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a saucepan, whisk in 3 tbsp flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk and simmer until lightly thick. Off heat stir in 1 cup cheddar, 1 tsp Dijon and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and stir. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, bake about 20–25 minutes until bubbling and reheated ham/casserole center reaches 165°F. Stand five minutes, then divide into six provisional portions. Test sauce coverage, pea tenderness and ham saltiness.

Allergens: Wheat; Milk; Mustard; Check ham for soy and other allergens. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.

Ham and Pea Pasta Bake

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• Author: Sophie Hart
• Total Time: 70 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Six portions of ham-and-pea cheddar pasta casserole.

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Ingredients

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• 12 ounces Dry penne
• 12 ounces Fully cooked ham, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups Whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook 12 oz penne just shy of package tenderness; drain. Grease a nine-by-thirteen-inch dish and combine pasta, 12 oz diced fully cooked ham and 1 1/2 cups peas.
2. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a saucepan, whisk in 3 tbsp flour and cook one minute. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk and simmer until lightly thick. Off heat stir in 1 cup cheddar, 1 tsp Dijon and 1/4 tsp pepper.
3. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and stir. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, bake about 20–25 minutes until bubbling and reheated ham/casserole center reaches 165°F.
4. Stand five minutes, then divide into six provisional portions. Test sauce coverage, pea tenderness and ham saltiness.

Notes

Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.

Additional chilling, resting or cooling time: 5 minutes, included in the total.

Untested estimate: pasta 8–10 minutes, sauce about ten, oven 20–25 and five-minute stand; some tasks overlap.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Chilling, resting or cooling: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner

Nutrition

• Serving Size: One sixth of a nine-by-thirteen-inch dish