Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pasta

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Ham, broccoli and cavatappi pasta combine with a decadent cheese sauce to make this Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pasta. Perfect for weeknights!

One of my favorite things about cooking ham is that it never ends up being just one meal. More often than not there are loads of leftovers and I just love turning them into other dishes. I’ve used it to make Ham and Potato Soup, Ham Salad and Ham and Cheese Quiche just to name a few.

Today I am sharing the latest ham recipe my family has been enjoying and I think you will love it just as much: Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Casserole. We know that ham is good with cheese. We know that broccoli is good with cheese and when you combine them all with pasta it makes a great, easy meal that the whole family will love.

Let’s talk about what you will need to make it.

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pasta Ingredients:

• HAM: Simply dice up any leftover ham into small pieces. Or you can even shred it if you prefer.
• BROCCOLI: I used fresh broccoli florets for this recipe because I prefer them to frozen. The fresh will say tender crisp in the dish rather than become too soggy.
• BUTTER: To saute the onions and help make the roux.
• FLOUR: Along with the butter it is used to make the roux for the sauce. It helps the sauce thicken.
• EVAPORATED MILK: This is the *key* to the rich creamy sauce. Evaporated milk, which has most of the water removed, has a higher concentration of fat solids compared to regular milk which results in a much creamier sauce.
• SHARP CHEDDAR: Using sharp cheddar, as opposed to medium cheddar, is going to give you much more cheddar flavor. For best melting results, I like to grate my own cheese.
• GRANULATED GARLIC/PAPRIKA/PEPPER: To season the sauce. If you don’t have granulated garlic, you can use garlic powder. I would avoid garlic salt because the cheese and the ham will be salty.
• SALT: To season the boiling water for the pasta.
• PASTA: I used cavatappi because I like the corkscrew shape and think it has more fun to the dish. You could use any other short pasta that you prefer like elbows, shells, penne or rigatoni.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Making this Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Pasta is really easy! Just follow along with these step by step photos and instructions and it’ll be on your table in no time.

• STEP #1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add salt and pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there are about 4 minutes left, add the broccoli and cook until bright green. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and broccoli.
• STEP #2: While the pasta is cooking start the sauce. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook just until softened. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute then whisk in evaporated milk.
• STEP #3: Slowly stir in cheese one handful at a time until it melts. Sauce will start to thicken. Season with paprika, granulated garlic and pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and ham. Mix well.
• STEP #4. Add pasta and broccoli to the cheese sauce. Mix well to ensure that all the pasta and broccoli is coated in the sauce. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Storage and Leftovers:

Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator and eat within a few days. You can reheat in the microwave or reheat on the stove. If you use the stove, cook over low heat and you may want to add a splash of milk if the pasta seems a bit dry.

Looking for more weeknight pasta dishes? Try these:

Spice up your weeknights with Calabrian Orecchiette pasta made with sweet cherry tomatoes, savory sausage, and spicy Calabrian chiles.

Pasta Pomodoro is a classic simple pasta dish with tomatoes, olive oil, onions and garlic. It is a hearty meatless dinner you can have on the table in 20 minutes.

Creamy Cajun Tortellini is a decadent, spicy pasta dish that comes together in a flash. Cheesy tortellini, andouille sausage and bell peppers simmered in a creamy cajun sauce.