This creamy ham and mushroom pasta is the meal dreams are made of! Ready in 20 minutes, filling, and so easy it is ideal for a mid-week dinner or any day of the week.
For the delicious sauce, simply sauté thinly sliced mushrooms in olive oil until perfectly cooked, then add the ham, parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and mix well. Add the pasta al dente, and the cream, and warm up thoroughly on a low flame.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and off you go! Serve with a salad or delicious side dish, a slice of toasted bread with garlic butter, or on its own. It is that tasty!
This pasta dish is a staple in Italy.
Ham and mushroom are two ingredients that work well together and in fact, can be found paired in so many dishes. From ham and mushroom quiche, pizza prosciutto e funghi, to this delicious pasta you are about to cook now!
The ingredients are easy to find, affordable, and liked by most. The whole pasta with ham and mushrooms takes less than half an hour to be on the table. Need I say more?
And if you LOVE mushrooms like I do, you may want to try this chicken hot pot with mushrooms, spinach mushroom pasta, and these delicious mushroom pappardelle with garlic!
Jump to:
💎 Why This Recipe Works
- The ingredients work together. Ham and mushroom are a widely loved combination!
- You only need eight ingredients in total, and this includes salt, pepper, and oil.
- Ham and mushroom pasta is ready in 20 minutes!
- Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, and the leftovers are perfect for the lunchbox.
- Two pans and a chopping board. No fancy equipment or technique.
- This is a simple recipe for any day of the week, and it offers plenty of ways to personalize it according to what you like and have on hand!
🛒 Ingredients
- Mushrooms: For this recipe, I used cremini mushrooms [aka baby bella, or chestnut mushrooms], as I like their rich flavor and darker color, which offers a nice contrast with the other ingredients. Feel free to use other kinds if they look fresher or are more available in your grocery store. White button mushrooms work too, as well as full-size Portobello, as they are all the same - just different ages. Porcini are great but have a very strong flavor, so perhaps use them paired with a milder type.
- Ham: Two thick slices of roast or cooked ham is my go-to choice. Should you prefer honey roast, ham hock, or shredded ham, use those. Thinly sliced ham is delicious too!
- Pasta: For the purpose of this blog post, I used tagliatelle, which is one of my favorite types of pasta. This sauce works with most types of short and long pasta. Penne, rigatoni, and spaghetti are good choices, as I have used them all multiple times for this one! Wholemeal pasta works well, too.
- Heavy Cream: Also known as double cream, it is thick and rich and doesn't need any help with thickening or flavor. If you don't have it to hand, here is a list of the best heavy cream substitutes, although my go-to alternative is a combination of half and half and butter.
- Fresh Parsley: Brings freshness and color to the dish. Swap for dry if you don't have it, although you will notice the difference.
- Olive Oil: To panfry your mushroom sauce. A good quality olive oil makes the difference, although you may want to use a little butter instead for a change occasionally.
- Salt and Pepper: Seasoning. Freshly ground or crushed black pepper is much better than pre-ground!
🔔 Be sure to check out the recipe card for all the ingredients and instructions you'll need to make this dish. Don't miss out on any of the details!
♻️ Substitutions and Variations
- Cream Cheese and Milk: My ham and mushroom tagliatelle post was originally written with a mixture of these two ingredients, and I still use this mixture in many recipes. It creates a light cheese-flavored dressing that works perfectly in the ham and mushroom sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: Add thinly chopped fresh garlic to the mushrooms for that something extra! Some add thinly sliced onions, too, but they are unnecessary and only make the recipe longer.
- Grated Cheese: Serve this creamy pasta dish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese!
👩🏻🍳 How To Make [Step-By-Step]
- Wipe the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
- Chop the ham in your favorite size, depending on the type you are using.
- Wash and thinly chop the fresh parsley.
- Add the olive oil in a frying pan or large saucepan and warm it up on medium heat.
- Once warm, add the mushrooms and allow them to cook, stirring occasionally. [Picture 1]
- Once the mushrooms have released all their water and this has evaporated, they will start turning golden brown. At this stage, add the ham, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix well. [Picture 2]
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a pan of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. The tagliatelle I used called for 4 minutes.
- Keep half a cup of cooking water on the side, then drain the pasta.
- Immediately add the hot pasta to the frying pan with the mushrooms and ham. Don't worry if a little water goes into it, too; it will make the sauce even creamier! [Picture 3]
- Add the heavy cream, mix well, and warm up the dish on low heat. Don't allow the cream to boil, just warm it up thoroughly.
- Stir well, taste for seasoning, and if the dish requires a little more liquid, add a little of the reserved cooking water you saved. Combine well until you obtain a creamy sauce. [Picture 4]
- Plate the pasta and serve with some grated cheese and a side salad or crusty bread.
🙋 People Also Ask [FAQs]
How long to cook mushrooms?
It depends on how crowded your pan is, how thick the mushroom slices are, and the strength of the flame you are cooking them on. Thinly sliced mushrooms that have plenty of space can be ready in 3-5 minutes. However, it took me about 8 minutes, as I like to eliminate the extra liquid and lightly brown them too.
Is fresh pasta better than dry pasta?
Fresh pasta works beautifully with most pasta sauces, however, it feels heavier than dry pasta. If you are going to prepare this dish for a special Sunday meal or a Saturday get-together, then fresh is a great option that really makes this dish feel super posh. However, for a quick mid-week meal, dry pasta is my go-to choice!
How to clean mushrooms?
Since most mushrooms available for purchase are grown indoors, they are typically relatively clean. However, if you need to clean them, ensure that you use a brush or a paper towel for the task. Avoid rinsing mushrooms with water, as their gills absorb a significant amount of water due to their spongy nature.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- To save time, you can cook the pasta while preparing the sauce. However, don't cook it too soon, or your pasta will need to wait in the strainer!
- Don't use milk or light cream instead of heavy cream. They are not as thick and flavorful and won't create the rich sauce this recipe calls for. The heavy cream is not too much in the recipe, and it is worth it!
- Cook the pasta until al dente, as it will then cook for another minute with the sauce. Overcooking it will make it mushy! I know the minutes needed to cook it can be incredibly hard to spot on the box [I always complain to Jay, why do they have to hide this vital information so well?]; however, find the number and follow those packet instructions!
- I know it may be tempting to use bacon instead of ham, but I really don't recommend it for this recipe. Bacon is very rich and fatty, which, paired with the cream, may make this dish just a little too much!
- Always cook your pasta in salted water! All pasta dishes must follow this.
❄️ Storing & Reheating
- In the fridge: You can store this ham and mushroom pasta dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- In the freezer: I don't recommend freezing this dish. The cooked pasta will change its consistency after thawing, and the sauce won't be as creamy, but rather gluey.
- To reheat: Mix a few tablespoons of water to the pasta dish. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave until piping hot, mixing frequently. Remember that the pepper flavor strengthens with time, and the parsley may not look so fresh after a few days!
🍴 More Delicious Recipes To Try
🍽️ Recipe
Easy Ham And Mushroom Pasta With Cream
This delicious ham and mushroom pasta is ready in only 20 minutes, making it the perfect mid-week meal. With delicious cream and a sprinkle of Parmesan, how can you resist?
Ingredients
- 250 g Mushrooms I used cremini
- 200 g Ham I used roast ham
- 200 ml Heavy Cream [Double Cream]
- 300 g Dry Pasta of Choice I used tagliatelle
- 10 g Fresh Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil I used extra virgin
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Wipe the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
- Chop the ham in your favorite size, depending on the type you are using. Feel free to break it by hand, too.
- Wash and thinly chop the parsley.
- In a frying pan or large saucepan, add the olive oil and warm it up on medium heat.
- Once warm, add the mushrooms and allow them to cook. Stir them occasionally to ensure they cook evenly.
- Once the mushrooms have released all their water and this has evaporated, they will start turning golden brown. At this stage, add the cooked ham, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix well.
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and set the ham and mushroom sauce aside.
- In a large pan of salted boiling water, follow the packet instructions, cook the pasta until al dente. The tagliatelle I used called for 4 minutes.
- Keep half a cup of cooking water on the side, then drain the pasta.
- Immediately add the hot pasta to the frying pan with the mushrooms and ham. Don't worry if a little water goes into it, too, it will make the sauce even creamier!
- Add the heavy cream, mix well, and warm up the dish on low heat. Don't allow the cream to boil, just warm it up thoroughly.
- Stir well, taste for seasoning, and if the dish requires a little more liquid, add a little of the reserved cooking water you saved. Combine well, until you obtain a creamy sauce.
- Plate the creamy ham and mushroom pasta and serve with some grated Parmesan cheese and a side salad or crusty bread.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Mushrooms: Feel free to use any kind of mushroom available in your grocery store. I used baby bella [also called chestnut mushrooms and cremini]. White button mushrooms work, too, as well as full-size Portobello, as they are all the same - just different ages. Porcini are great but have a very strong flavor, so perhaps use them paired with a milder type.
- Ham: Any type of cooked ham you like will work perfectly.
- Pasta: This sauce works with most types of short and long pasta.
- Heavy Cream: Also known as double cream, it is thick and rich and doesn't need any help with thickening or flavor. If you don't have it to hand, here is a list of the best heavy cream substitutes, although my go-to alternative is a combination of half and half and butter.
- Fresh Parsley: Brings freshness and color to the dish. Swap for dry if you don't have it, although you will notice the difference.
- Cream Cheese and Milk: My post was originally written with a mixture of these two ingredients instead of cream, and I still use this mixture in many recipes. It creates a light cheese-flavored dressing that works perfectly in the ham and mushroom sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: Add thinly chopped fresh garlic to the mushrooms for that something extra! Some like to add onion, but it is not necessary, it only makes the recipe longer.
- Grated Cheese: Serve this creamy pasta dish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese!
- In the fridge: You can store this ham and mushrooms pasta dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- In the freezer: I don't recommend freezing this dish. The cooked pasta will change its consistency after thawing, and the sauce won't be as creamy but rather gluey.
- To reheat: Add a few tablespoons of water to the pasta dish and mix well. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave until piping hot, mixing frequently. Remember that the pepper flavor gets stronger with time, and the parsley may not look so fresh after a couple of days!
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 24gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 616mgPotassium: 571mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 950IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Victoria says
Okay this was SUPERB!!! Mushrooms and pasta are my weakness in life. I have never found a good recipe for at home, plus they always have sooo many ingredients. This was so easy and FULL of flavour. (I opted out of putting ham in and it works). I went with cream cheese and milk as that's what I had at home. This will now be eaten so much, I'll have to be crane lifted out of the house. Thank you for another gorgeous recipe.
Elle says
Thank you, Victoria! So glad you liked this one too - I do eat loads of mushrooms too and use them in pasta and rice all the time!
If you like pasta and veggies [with a bit of heat!] have a look at this Pasta with Broccoli and let me know your thoughts!
Beth says
This is such a delicious and bursting with flavor pasta! My family and I have had this for dinner a few times already, and we just love this recipe! Such a great dinner recipe and I can't wait to make this again!
Elle says
Thank you, Beth!
Suzy says
This came out great! The flavor was so delicious, we kept going back for more! It was perfectly creamy too!
Elle says
Thank you, Suzy! I'm very glad you liked it!
Gina says
Ham and mushrooms go so well together and with a creamy pasta it's an irresistible pairing! Delicious recipe that's so easy to make!
Elle says
Thank you, Gina! I have to agree, ham and mushroom are a great pairing!
Tavo says
It was delicious! Thanks for sharing! Loved how all the flavors played together!
Elle says
Thank you, Tavo!
Kechi says
What a delightful and tasty recipe! I can’t wait to give it a try! Am always on the look out for new ways to enjoy mushrooms! YUM
Elle says
Thank you, Kechi! I do love mushrooms too and this recipe is very easy and quick!
Sam says
This was simple recipe and very yummy thanks!!
Elle says
Thank you, Sam! Really appreciate it! ?
Gill says
Very tasty -- plus quick and easy. Even good the next day.
Elle says
Thank you, Gill! ??
Hettigal Paul says
Really good recipe, I think the key to success is use fresh pasta and get your ratio of noodles to mushrooms right.
Elle says
Thank you, Hettigal! ? If you are counting calories, be mindful of fresh pasta!
Tess says
Delicious! I'm not usually the type to enjoy mushroom based dishes, but this was an absolute treat!
Elle says
Thank you, Tess! ?