This easy mid-week (or quick weekend lunch) Ham and Mushroom pasta uses cream cheese as a sauce and is a great way to use up any ham you have in the fridge. It's a simple recipe, and especially good for littler kids who prefer their food slightly plainer than bigger kids (and us) might like. Feel free to leave the garlic out if you've got garlic haters in your house, or add extra to give it a bigger kick!
Ham And Mushroom Pasta
Pasta dishes are always welcome, right? We love pasta in this house, always have, except now we're Clean eating, I 99% of the time make a sauce instead of buying a jar from the store.
The sauces I make are never really difficult or particularly fussy for that matter. I prefer to make food that I know everyones going to like and with a bigger family, that usually means keeping things simple. Of course there's times I try new things and push the boat out a bit more, but on the whole, simple food for us, is the best food.
I use Wholemeal pasta in this as I do always now. I can rarely find this fresh, and yes, I've made pasta myself having invested in a pasta making machine that rolls it out into beautifully thin strips and does exactly what it should but you know what? Like many of us who bought these machines, I've found it's really quite a lot of work for the end result.
The pasta available to buy now is really good quality and making it didn't produce such good results that I was prepared to add that time into my week. So I buy it, fresh or dried, always Wholemeal, from the shops.
It's becoming more widely available now, but I still occasionally have issues with shops only stocking white pasta. If this is the case where you shop, buy it online and stock up if the price is reasonable. Dried pasta can stay in your pantry for a while, so get it while you can, it's such a quick way to get a good dinner on the table, I'm never without it.
Cream Cheese Sauce
Rather than making a roux white sauce (flour, butter and milk) I use cream cheese for this. It's a less intense cheese flavor and I think this lets the mushrooms and ham flavors come out. I have a couple of garlic haters here and so if they're out I'll add garlic to the mushrooms and onions as they cook for a little garlicky kick, but mostly I leave it out.
You can buy cream cheese with Garlic and herbs in it. Now, I love this, I really do. But I can not all that often find a Clean one that's simply got garlic and herbs added, instead, I find they tend to have flavor enhancers added instead. Which I don't want. So you'll often find me in a new shop checking the labels of cream cheese desperately trying to stumble on one that suits the way we eat. I can tell you now, it almost never happens.
If you do get lucky and find one, treasure it, and then email me and tell me where you got it :)
Leftover Ham And Mushroom Pasta
Got left overs? Lucky you. This ham and mushroom pasta can be kept for 2 days, covered, in the fridge, and reheated in either a pan on the stove top until warmed through or in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
I also pack this up for next day lunches. Pack the left overs straight into lunchboxes after you've eaten and you've done lunch for the following day. Couldn't be easier!
More Clean Eating Pasta Recipes
How To Make Ham And Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 3-4 Cups Dried pasta Wholemeal
- 4 Cups Fresh Mushrooms Peeled and sliced
- 1 Cup Ham Pulled or finely shredded
- 1 Onion Finely sliced (optional)
- 2 Cups Cream cheese Clean, Full fat, Check the label
- 1 Clove Garlic Crushed (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper To season
- 4 tbsp Water the pasta's cooked in Reserve a little cooking water to thin the sauce
Instructions
- Gently pan fry your mushrooms, garlic (if using) and onions until fully cooked and tender. Season them well while they're cooking. Once cooked, transfer to a dish and put to one side
- Fill the pan with enough water to cook your pasta. Once the water is boiling, cook your pasta as per the packet instructions. Reserve 4 tablespoon of the cooking water, when the pasta has finished cooking
- Drain the pasta and add the cream cheese to the pan. Stir through the pasta making sure it's all coated in cream cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of the cooking water to thin the sauce if needed. Depending on the cream cheese you're using, you may not need to use water at all
- Once the pasta is coated, add the mushroom and onion mix, add the ham, and combine everything. Put the pan back on the stove over a low heat to warm through the ham and reheat the mushrooms and onion
- Serve, with a little Parmesan if liked!
Recipe
Ham and Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 3-4 Cups Dried pasta Wholemeal
- 4 Cups Fresh Mushrooms Peeled and sliced
- 1 Cup Ham Pulled or finely shredded
- 1 Onion Finely sliced (optional)
- 2 Cups Cream cheese Clean, Full fat, Check the label
- 1 Clove Garlic Crushed (optional)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper To season
- 4 tablespoon Water the pasta's cooked in Reserve a little cooking water to thin the sauce
- Parmesan cheese To serve, optional
Instructions
- Gently pan fry your mushrooms, garlic (if using) and onions until fully cooked and tender. Season them well while they're cooking. Once cooked, transfer to a dish and put to one side
- Fill the pan with enough water to cook your pasta. Once the water is boiling, cook your pasta as per the packet instructions. Reserve 4 tablespoon of the cooking water
- Drain the pasta and add the cream cheese to the pan. Stir through the pasta making sure it's all coated in cream cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of the cooking water to thin the sauce if needed. Depending on the cream cheese you're using, you may not need to use water at all
- Once the pasta is coated, add the mushroom and onion mix, add the ham, and combine everything. Put the pan back on the stove over a low heat to warm through the ham and reheat the mushrooms and onion
- Serve with Parmesan if liked!
