My Creamy Ham Pasta Bake is the ideal meal when you’re short of time but want a warm and comforting meal. Cubes of ham, pasta and broccoli florets are combined in a cheesy cream sauce, turned into a casserole dish, topped with buttery breadcrumbs and baked until golden and crisp. This is comfort food at its best, and like my Bacon Mac and Cheese, it is a meal that all the family will enjoy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- You can prepare the Ham Pasta Bake a day in advance and put it into the oven when you’re ready. This is a great advantage when you’re entertaining.
- It is a great way to use leftover ham.
- You can vary the ingredients according to your personal taste, or what you have on hand. Add whatever veggies you have on hand!
- The creamy, cheesy sauce is a perfect contrast to the golden, crispy breadcrumb topping.
- It is a great way to include vegetables in family meals.
- It can be made gluten-free. Just ensure you use the appropriate pasta, flour and breadcrumbs.
Recipe Inspiration: I’m a big fan of baked pasta dishes. Growing up, we would have a pasta al forno every week. I love that they can be made in advance and can be varied by using different ingredients. I developed this recipe when I had some of my Marmalade Glazed Ham left over. It is a variation on my Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake and Bacon Mac and Cheese – I feel one cannot have too many pasta bake recipes up their sleeve. 🙂
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Dried elbow pasta – similar to macaroni. A tubular pasta is ideal for this recipe, but you can use any short pasta of your choice. Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Broccoli florets – a great way to include vegetables for the family.
- Ham – if you happen to have some leftover Christmas ham, this is a great way to use it.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter as ham and cheese are salty ingredients. That way, I have more control over the amount of salt in the dish. We use butter to make the creamy sauce and add it to the breadcrumb topping for extra crispness and flavour.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – thickens the sauce. Use gluten-free if you wish.
- Milk – I have used full cream milk. Use the milk of your choice.
- Dijon and grainy mustard – the aromatic spice of the two mustards adds a great savoury note.
- Cheddar cheese – use freshly grated, full flavoured cheese. Don’t use packaged grated cheese as they often contain anti-caking agents that don’t melt smoothly and may make your sauce grainy.
- Salt and pepper – properly seasoning food is essential. It can be the difference between flavour-filled food and a bland dish. Our preference is for sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Panko breadcrumbs – these are light, flaky breadcrumbs, readily available in the supermarket. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Thyme – we use fresh thyme; it adds great flavour to the topping. If you use dried thyme, it is much more concentrated – use about a third.
Variations:
Elbow pasta/macaroni – a pasta that catches and holds the sauce is ideal. Small shells also work well.
Broccoli – if you prefer, you could use cauliflower, peas or corn.
Cheese – you could use Swiss Gruyere instead of cheddar.
Spice – you could add some cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
How To Make Creamy Ham Pasta Bake:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Par-cook the pasta and broccoli:
In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until very al dente, and partially cook the broccoli. Set aside.
2 – Start to prepare the sauce:
To the same saucepan, add the butter for the sauce and melt. Add in the flour and stir well with a whisk and cook.
3 – Add in the milk to the sauce:
Add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps forming. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce resembles the consistency of pouring cream.
4 – Stir through seasonings:
Remove from the heat and add the ham, cheese and mustards.
Check the seasoning, adding a little pepper and salt to taste.
5 – Combine the sauce and pasta:
Add the pasta and broccoli to the sauce and mix until everything is well combined. Add to a prepared baking dish.
6 – Make the breadcrumb topping:
Combine melted butter with the breadcrumbs and thyme.
Top the pasta with the breadcrumb mix. Bake until golden and crispy on top.
Hint: check that the sauce is seasoned to your liking before adding to the casserole dish.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, you can make it a day in advance. Store it covered in the fridge and bake as per the recipe instructions. When ready, sit it at room temperature for about 20 minutes or, if baking from cold, it will need a few extra minutes in the oven.
Yes, you can. Assemble the dish but do not cook. Allow the dish to cool completely before wrapping well with cling wrap to avoid freezer burn. Freeze for up to two months. When you’re ready to cook, defrost in the refrigerator and allow the dish to come to room temperature 20 minutes before cooking. Follow directions for cooking as per the recipe below.
Store leftover Ham Pasta Bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the pasta has been at room temperature for 2 hours, it should be discarded. Ideally, if you can see that you will have leftovers, cover them as soon as they are cool and refrigerate.
Allow the dish to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Cover the dish with foil and reheat at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through. If the dish is a little dry, add a tablespoon of water or milk.
I have used elbow pasta/macaroni as the tubular shape attracts and holds the sauce. You could also use small shells or penne. Choose penne with ridged sides (penne rigate) – the sauce will adhere better.
Top Tip:
The most important tip is to ensure that you initially undercook the pasta and broccoli, as they will cook further when baked.
Serving Suggestions:
My Creamy Ham Pasta Bake is a family-friendly meal that offers comfort in every bite. Some serving suggestions are:
- As it is easy to make, it is perfect for weeknight family meals.
- Serve it family-style at the table. It is delicious served with a Rocket and Pear Salad.
- It is easily transported so is ideal to take to a potluck.
- Share this comfort food with good friends and family. Believe me, they will love it.
You can be certain that this dish will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. After all, who doesn’t love a creamy, cheesy pasta bake? I look forward to hearing from you in the comments below when you have made this.
Alex xx
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Creamy Ham Pasta Bake
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Pasta Base:
- 200 g (7 oz) dried elbow pasta See Note 1
- 250 g (9 oz) broccoli florets – cut into bite-size pieces
- 250 g (9 oz) ham – cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes See Note 2
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 40 g (¼ cup) plain/all-purpose flour See Note 3
- 750 ml (3 cups) milk
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 250 g (2 ½ cups) cheddar cheese – freshly grated See Note 4
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
- 90 g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
- 60 g (¼) unsalted butter – melted
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme – finely chopped See Note 5
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).
- To a large saucepan of boiling water, add sea salt and season well. Add your pasta and cook it until it is very al dente. One minute before you remove the pasta, add the broccoli florets. Drain the broccoli and pasta in a colander and set aside.
- In the same saucepan that you cooked the pasta, on a medium heat, melt the butter for the breadcrumb topping. Once melted, remove and add to a small bowl with the breadcrumbs and thyme. Stir well and set aside.
- To the same saucepan, add the butter for the sauce and melt. Add in the flour and stir well with a whisk and cook for 1 minute.
- Add half the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps forming. Add the remaining milk and increase the heat to medium high.Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce resembles pouring cream consistency – this will take about 5-8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the ham, cheese and mustards. Stir well. Check the seasoning, adding a little pepper and salt to taste. (Keep in mind the cheese and ham is salty.)
- Grease a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches) baking/casserole dish and add the pasta mixture to the dish.
- Top the pasta with the breadcrumb mix.Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy on top. Set aside for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- Pasta: use a short pasta of your choice. A tubular pasta, such as rigatoni or penne, is a good choice as the sauce becomes trapped in the tubes. Be sure to choose those with ribbed sides so the sauce doesn’t slide off.
- Ham: I have used leftover Maple Syrup Glazed Ham, but thickly sliced ham from the deli is suitable. This recipe is great for Christmas Ham leftovers!
- Gluten-free option: for a gluten-free option, use the appropriate flour, pasta and breadcrumbs.
- Cheese: don’t use packaged grated cheese; it often contains anti-caking agents that don’t melt smoothly and may make your sauce grainy.
- Thyme: we prefer fresh thyme. Strip the leaves from the stems. If you use dried thyme, use ⅓ the amount and ensure that your dried thyme is fresh, or the flavour will be dull.
- Pasta: it is important to undercook your pasta as it will cook further when baked.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
- Make in advance: store covered in the fridge up to 24 hours ahead. When ready, sit the dish at room temperature for about 20 minutes and bake as per the recipe instructions. If baking from cold, it will need a few extra minutes in the oven.
- Freezing: you can also freeze the prepared dish. Allow the dish to cool completely before wrapping well with cling wrap to avoid freezer burn. Freeze for up to two months. When you’re ready to cook, defrost in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking as per the recipe.
- Leftovers: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the pasta has been at room temperature for 2 hours, it should be discarded. Ideally, if you can see that you will have leftovers, cover them as soon as they are cool and refrigerate.
- Reheating: If the dish is a little dry, add a tablespoon of water or milk. Cover the dish with foil and reheat at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 20-30 minutes or until heated throughout.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Lucy
So very delicious.
I have made this recipe four times now, and realised I hadn’t left a comment. It has become a family favourite – very easy and so satisfying. I keep ham in the freezer now on a permanent basis so I can make this!
We use GF pasta and flour, but otherwise, follow the recipe as written. 🙂
Alexandra Cook
Hi Lucy,
Thank you so much! I am so happy that this recipe has become a regular in your household.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Alex xo