Easy Ham And Mushroom Pasta With Cream

A light grey plate filled with tagliatelle with mushrooms and strips of ham, on top of a blue tea towel with white dots.

4.95 from 18 votes

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?

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: portions

Calories: 616kcal

Author: Elle John

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

Metric - US Customary

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.

Substitutions and Variations

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!

Storing and Reheating

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