Creamy Fettuccine with Ham and Peas
The white sauce in this creamy fettuccinne with ham and peas dish is rich and creamy; the addition of ham and peas makes it a complete meal!
I have an old, old recipe on here for a creamy fettuccine. It’s delicious. But not exactly calorie-friendly, thanks to my BFF, heavy cream.
When my friend, Lesli, sent me the recipe I’m posting today, I was immediately intrigued by the cut in calories and fat, thanks to a creamy sauce made very similarly to this popular alfredo recipe.
When I made this current recipe, my family was oohing and aahing all through dinner and my boys even chose to take it in their handy-dandy thermoses to school for lunch the next day, which just doesn’t happen very often (usually they’d much prefer a ham and cheese over dinner leftovers).
The white sauce is rich and creamy without being overly fattening and the simple additions of ham and peas make this a wonderful, delicious, complete meal.
The one caveat I’ll offer is that it is best eaten immediately – if left to sit out for a while, the sauce gets a bit clumpy and loses it’s silky yumminess (but it does reheat decently on low power in the microwave – not as good as the original but fantastic enough to make lunch special).
The boost to the meal is that it comes together extremely quickly, perfect for those harried weeknights or wonderful for a lazy afternoon lunch. Big hip hip hooray for simple meals (that taste fan-diddly-tastic)!
What to Serve With This
- Corn on the Cob
- French Bread Rolls
- Fresh, seasonal fruit like cantaloupe, pineapple or strawberries
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Creamy Fettuccine with Ham and Peas
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry fettuccine noodles
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 ½ cups lowfat milk, I used 1%
- 1 (8-ounce) package light or regular cream cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil the fettuccine according to package directions. Add the peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and peas in a colander and set aside.
- While the pasta is boiling, in a large 12-inch skillet or a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the cubed cream cheese, whisking or stirring until it is well combined with the butter and garlic and the mixture is relatively smooth.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and continue stirring and cooking until the mixture is bubbly and hot, 1-2 minutes. Remove the skillet or pot from the heat and stir in the ham and Parmesan cheese.
- Return the pasta and peas to the large pot they cooked in and pour in the sauce. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a recipe sent to me by my friend, Lesli D.
Just wanted to say this was really yummy! I’ve been searching for a good Alfredo recipe and I think I’ve found it! My husband kept saying “This is really good! This is a keeper!” He’s easy to please, but this is the first Alfredo recipe he’s really liked. I cheated and used whole milk (I don’t buy low fat milk so I never have it on hand) and it was easy and tasty!
My family went crazy for this dish! I did use whole milk instead because that’s what I had on hand. This dinner will definitely be in our pasta rotation!
This sauce was delicious and so easy! Only thing I will do next time is either double the sauce or use half the amount of pasta; depending on how many people I’m feeding. I made as written and not nearly enough sauce. At least for us! Lol
SIMPLE, QUICK, AND EASY – A+ – Love to make this dish. It is great to serve company too. One pound of pasta is a little much for the sauce it makes, but still very good. I top it with fresh ground pepper and freshly grated parmesan. EXCELLENT!!
I had to make a few changes. Didn’t have ham but I used bacon and even though I’ve kept grated parmesan in my fridge since I started using your recipes I was out tonight. So I used some feta and colby jack. It was a hit but I want to try the real recipe soon.
I really like this dish and the only thing i substitute is bacon instead of ham and fusilli noodles. But it always turns out quite watery. I have tried reducing the milk, but then you just get melted cheese, not really a sauce. Any idea what I am doing wrong?
Kim – I am not sure, to be honest, it might be worth letting the mixed pasta sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to help with extra liquid.
I find keeping some of the pasta water and adding it if it needs a bit of thickening. The starch in the water from the pasta helps immensely. 🙂
Ham recipe
I made this tonight and it was sooo delicious! I love cream cheese, so this was so great! Thank you for sharing the recipe! Definitely will be having this again for supper 🙂
I made this for the second time last night with a few modifications. I used packaged diced ham, asparagus (instead of peas), added some parsley and cayenne. Delicious!
This is fantastic! I first made it using slow cooker maple ham that was left over from Easter dinner. I made it again last week, and it is just beyond delicious. It is the only meal my husband will eat more than twice leftover, too. I love it!
Okay… I made this tonight and it was FANTASTIC! I’m a fan of quick and easy. So, this really fit the bill. I loved the flavor, could really taste the garlic in the sauce and enjoyed the saltiness of the ham. I will definitely be making this often. Thanks Mel!
Just made this tonight & loved it! I added some diced onion with the butter and garlic, and added 3 T. of pesto. It also needed some salt & pepper. Other than that, it was a hit! Thanks for another great recipe 😉
Made this last night for dinner. So fast to make and tasted great!! My daughter said there wasn’t enough sauce, I think I just boiled too many noodles (tried to eyeball it from a 5-pound box) – lol Definitely will be doing this one again!!
i rejoice when i see ham in pasta recipes–this looks lovely!
I loved this recipe. When I saw you posted a recipe with ham I was immediately intrigued – as we have a lot left over from Easter. It was so delicious! My husband asked how fattening it was and it was such a pleasure to tell him that it wasn’t as guilty as it tasted. I used light cream cheese and asiago cheese as well and it was very good. This is a winner!
This is such a fantastic idea for my leftover Easter ham! Love it, Mel. Looks so delicious!
Hi Whitney – I have to admit that Pecorino Romano cheese isn’t one of my favorites, it is a little strong for my tastes – having said that, if you enjoy the flavor, I think it could easily be subbed here or in other recipes that use Parmesan. You’ll get a different flavor but the texture and melting qualities are about the same.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was SO good!!!!
Hi Mel! I just bought a huge wedge of Pecorino Cheese to use in a recipe and have a lot left over. This was the first time I’ve ever bought this cheese before, and I’m not sure what to do with it. Do you think it might possibly work in this recipe as a substitute for Parmesan? Any other suggestions on what I could use it for? Sorry for all the questions, but your husband does work at a cheese company, right 🙂
Martha – I always use frozen peas versus canned so I don’t know how they’ll fare but it’s worth a try if you have frozen pea haters! I’d stir them in with the ham and let them heat through.
Any chance you could use canned green peas (small ones) instead of frozen? Have some picky eaters that do not like frozen green peas :(! Maybe stir in same time as ham or little before? This sounds so good – and quick.
Perfect timing–I was planning to use left over ham with your alfredo sauce tonight. Was planning to mix in some steamed broccoli but peas are a great idea and will be a hit with the kiddos. Thanks so much, Mel!
I heart that Alfredo Recipe. First found it on Our Best Bites, and fell in LOVE! So delish, no one would know it is light 🙂 Haven’t thought about the addition of ham & peas…gonna have to try it!
Seriously- a lightened up version of fettuccine?! I didn’t know that could exist! This sounds awesome!
Ham, noodles, peas and cream sauce. It’s what’s for dinner!
I have leftover ham too!! Thanks so much for this recipe!! Ham ham everywhere here. My daughter even made ham sandwiches last night for 7 guy friends for their first at home lacrosse game today and we still have ham leftover…ugh!! This recipe is PERFECT.
I recently found and made your Creamy Garlic Pasta dish which is very similar to this one. It was perfectly perfect! So this one is sure to be just as good. Thank you!
Now I know what’s for dinner!! Thanks Mel!
Alfredo sauce is one of my favorite indulgences. With this lighter version and the addition of ham…heaven! Thanks Mel!
This is right up my alley. Bookmarked!!!
Oh my…this looks delicious! I have a few precious slices of Honey Baked Ham leftover from Easter dinner, and this will be the perfect recipe to use it in!