One Pot Cheesy Ham and Asparagus Pasta is a great use for leftover ham and comes together in 20 minutes. Feel free to substitute rotisserie chicken or any veggies you like.
10ouncesWhole Grain Rotini pasta (or other short cut pasta)you can substitute regular semolina pasta
8 ouncesasparagus spears, cut into 2 inch pieces
¼cupbutter(half a stick)
1clovegarlic, minced
¼cupflour
2cupsmilk
½cupshredded mozzarella
½cupshredded parmesan
4ouncescream cheese(reduced fat works great here)
salt and pepper to taste
2cupsham, cooked and cubed
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, adding the asparagus in the water during the last two minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and asparagus and set aside.
In the same pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for one minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until light brown in color, about two minutes. Increase heat to medium high and whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Turn off heat and stir in the cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To the pot add the pasta and asparagus, and the cooked ham. Stir to combine. Serve warm.
Notes
This is a great meal to prep ahead and make on a busy weeknight. Just trim the asparagus and cube the ham ahead of time. If you have a lot of ham leftover after the holidays, cube it and freeze in an airtight container until ready to use. This also reheats beautifully and would make a great lunch the next day.