Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pasta with Lemon

I whipped this dish out of my refridgerator. Wishing to save my select meats and veggies for meals later on in the week, I thought about following a ham-n-cheese, grab-n-go initiative.
Have you ever heard of ham and cheese pasta? I hadn't, so I took a look around online and found some adaptions and recipes, most of them using tomato sauce and seeming a little crumby.
So this is what I came up with, and it's truly one of these easiest dishes I know. It starts with a butter and cheese-sauce, thickened with a little bit of milk.

You will need:

- 1 pound (maybe even a little more) Farfalle pasta
- 1 package (almost two cups) Frozen broccoli florets
- About 1/4 cup of margarine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz package of your favorite shredded cheese (Vermont Cheddar, Monterey Jack)
- 1/4 cup milk
- Handful of peas, if desired
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 pound (or more) shaved ham
- salt and pepper, to taste
- grated parmesean cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta and follow al dente instructions. Add broccoli florets at last 2-3 minutes of cooking time, and peas if desired. Drain together in colander.

Put pot back on low burner and add margarine. Return pasta/broccoli to pan and stir in olive oil. Add in cheese, milk, and shaved ham. Mix until creamy sauce forms and let everything warm nicely. Add salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix once more. Serve with grated parmesean cheese and fresh bread.

The olive oil and butter flavor-combination is outstanding and compliments a sharp cheese beautifully. A bit of crushed red pepper will give it some kick, if you like 'em hot.

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