This Quick and Easy Ham and Kale Pasta recipe is a delicious way to use up your leftover ham in this delicious recipe!
What’s better than a 30-Minute Monday recipe? How about a 30 minute ONE POT recipe? Um, yes please!
They say necessity is the mother of invention and I’m inclined to agree. This time of year I find myself with a lot of leftovers, yet I never have any trouble finishing off the leftover turkey. Ham, on the other hand, tends to sit in my fridge until I have to throw it out.
I finally wised up and decided to make a quick and easy pasta with my leftover ham!
This recipe could hardly be any easier. Let me give you the low down:
Heat some olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot (like my favorite Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and toss in some chopped kale.
Pour in some liquids, cover, and steam 10 minutes.
Add the ham, onion, and some special seasonings, then cook for a few minutes before adding in some canned tomatoes and dried pasta.
Add a bit more liquid and let the pasta cook until it is tender before finishing with some fresh Feta cheese.
The starchy liquid from the pasta mingles with the acidic tomatoes and makes a wonderfully light sauce to coat the noodles. I used a Penna Regate pasta, but you could make this with pretty much whatever you have on hand.
If you don’t like kale, or don’t have any lying around, you could absolutely use spinach, chard, or even some bitter arugula greens. Get creative with this one – it’s YOUR leftovers that need to be used up!
Alright, in the interest of being quick and easy…
Here’s the Ham and Kale Pasta recipe!
Quick and Easy Ham and Kale Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups roughly chopped kale leaves
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1 cup diced yellow onion - about half of a small onion
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 14 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 4 ounces fresh Feta cheese - broken up into large chunks
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and toss to coat. Add ½ cup water along with the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir. Add the ham, onion, lemon pepper, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juices and uncooked pasta to the pot. Add enough water to just barely cover all of the pasta. Squish everything down to submerge, then cover the pot.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through. Remove the lid and stir. If the pasta looks too watery, let it cook with the lid off for a few minutes to thicken up. Fold in the Feta cheese. Serve warm.
Yum, really tasty. Top marks for this, and thanks for sharing.
Simon