When picnic season is just around the corner you want a lot of great recipes to choose from that don’t require all day to make and that serve well cold or even at room temperature. This ham and pea pasta salad is all of those things, and has the the most important feature of just tasting really good.
This easy recipe relies on good ham, cut into cubes. This is a great recipe to use up leftover ham, too.
You mix the ham with some cooked short pasta and peas. You can use any short pasta you want, but I find that penne, pennette, and spirals look the best with the other ingredients.
The thing that brings all the main ingredients together is a dressing that’s perfectly spiced with chives, mint, and garlic. These fresh herbs give this pasta salad a refreshing flavor that a lot of other pasta salads are missing. It’s incredible what some fresh seasonings can do for a recipe!
Then just toss everything together and enjoy! You can customize this salad, too. Add a bit of cheese, or some celery, or even black olives. The options for how to make this recipe your own are endless.
Get ready for the compliments to come pouring in when you make this fresh, tasty ham and pea pasta salad.
Ham and Pea Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1-2 cloves garlic, run through garlic press
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 8 oz uncooked dried penne or other short pasta
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup (9 oz) diced cooked ham
Preparation
- Whisk together mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, sour cream, chives, mint, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Cook pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
- Toss together dressing with pasta, peas, and ham. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from Food Network.