Fettuccine with Ham and Peas

This creamy fettuccine with ham, peas, and mushrooms is wonderfully savory, cheesy, and full of awesome flavor that comes together easily on the stovetop for a satisfying meal.

Creamy pastas are arguably one of the dreamiest comfort foods out there. I’ve got several on the blog, fitting a variety of palates. From my turkey tetrazzini and creamy lemon pasta with ham and peas to my roasted mushroom stroganoff, these pasta dishes scratch that comfort food itch and creamy pasta craving. My latest creamy pasta endeavor, this fettuccine with ham and peas features luscious strands of fettuccine coated in a silly Parmesan cream sauce and tossed with strips of salty ham, sautéed mushrooms, and shallots, and peas, making it an excellent 30-minute meal for the whole family.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This creamy fettuccine with ham and peas comes together easily on the stovetop, in just 30 minutes
• It’s full of savory flavors and umami from sautéed shallots, salty ham, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese
• It’s kid-friendly comfort food your whole family will love, and easily adaptable too

What’s in Fettuccine with Ham and Peas

• Fettuccine—I love using a long strand, thicker pasta here, but you could always use linguine or even a shorter-strand pasta if you like
• Butter—for sautéing the shallot
• Shallots—gives this pasta a wonderful savory flavor and pair so well with the mushrooms
• Button mushrooms—you could also use cremini mushrooms
• Heavy cream—for a rich, creamy sauce (you could try half-and-half but the sauce might not be quite as thick)
• Parmesan cheese—for a cheesy sauce and umami bite
• Peas—I use frozen, but fresh would also work
• Ham—use cooked ham that doesn’t have a high water content for more hammy flavor
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Fettuccine with Ham and Peas

• Cook your pasta. Cook the fettuccine until al dente, about 8 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water then drain and set aside.
• Sauté the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté the shallots in butter until soft, stirring often. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.

TIP : Typically, a good rule of thumb (as learned from Chris Kimball) is 1 tablespoon of salt to 2 quarts of water, though in this particular recipe, since I’m using a longer strand pasta, I do 3 quarts of water.

• Make the creamy cheese sauce. Add the cream then bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper and stir until smooth.

• Emulsify the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the peas, ham, and fettuccine. Toss well with ¼ cup reserved pasta water to emulsify the sauce. Add more pasta water as needed so the sauce lushly coats the pasta.
• Top and serve. Serve the pasta sprinkled with more grated Parmesan cheese as desired.

Recipe Tips

• Cook the pasta in 3 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt so the pasta water is rich with thickening power (the ideal salt-to-water ratio for cooking the pasta helps the pasta impart more gluten into the cooking water, which yields a thicker sauce)
• Be sure to cook the pasta just shy of being done before you add it to the sauce since it will cook further (you want it to cook more in the sauce so it absorbs more of the sauce’s awesome flavor)
• Add more pasta water as needed to achieve the right consistency of the sauce (I like to add it gradually because you can always add more, but can’t take it out)

Ingredient Substitutions

• Omit the ham if you’d like to make this pasta vegetarian
• Swap the ham for baked chicken breast (or storebought rotisserie chicken)
• Finish the pasta with some fresh lemon zest and minced chives if you like
• Instead of peas, add broccoli florets (fresh or frozen would work)
• Try a different type of mushroom if you like
• You could also use evaporated milk in place of the heavy cream (it will help create a thick, creamy pasta without the risk of breaking the sauce like fresh dairy sometimes can)
• Mascarpone cheese would also be a great option in lieu of heavy cream
• Instead of Parmesan cheese, use Pecorino or Asiago (or a blend)
• Use a different type of pasta (a short pasta such as rigatoni, cavatappi orecchiette, or fusilli would also work great)

Storage Tips

This fettuccine will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it due to the cream sauce and cheese. A baked pasta, such as a lasagna freezes well, but a looser pasta like this isn’t ideal for freezing.

What to Serve With Fettuccine with Ham and Peas

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.