Pea and ham pasta sauce

JustJanS's Note:

I've been making this pasta sauce for years. It's a good way to use up left-over ham and it's fairly quick and colourful. I like it over tortellini, but shells or spirals are OK too.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 250 g diced ham
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine or 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 (440 g) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted under running hot water
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• parmesan cheese, shaved or grated to serve

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a frypan, and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the diced ham and saute a further 2 minutes or so.
3. Add the tomato paste, and cook stirring for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine or stock.
4. If I'm using wine, I like to reduce it a little.
5. Now add the crushed tomatoes, peas and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. No longer though or the peas lose their fresh green colour.
7. Add the cream and reheat gently, then stir through the chopped basil before serving.
8. Offer Parmesan cheese at the table.

Reviews

[judyannwiese]

Easy & very tasty. Whole family liked it!

[**Mandy**]

What a lovely change from your usual meat sauce for pasta..hubby & miss 4 yr old both ate it up with no complaints. Thanks Jan!

[Tisme]

This is a really nice sauce. I served over spinach and ricotta totellini and it was really very nice. I followed the recipe exactly amd served with parmesan and crusty bread, which made for a great lunch! As an added bonus to this wonderful recipe everything was on hand, and I used leftover ham from Christmas and my own grown fresh basil This sauce has such great flavours and when serving the sauce is so rich looking and so bright and vibrant in colour. It truly looks wonderful on the table! Thanks Jan.