Ham Carbonara With Peas

5.0
(2)
2 Reviews

Use leftover ham to make this carbonara with peas faster and easier.

By Liz Mervosh
Published on March 1, 2024
Recipe tested by
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen

The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Southern Living Ham Carbonara With Peas on a plate to serve
Photo:

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
4

Carbonara is a magic trick of a dish. With very little effort and just a dash of patience, a thick and creamy sauce comes together in the blink of an eye. And you don’t have to be a skilled Italian grandmother to do it!

The magic comes in the form of egg yolks: The addition of hot starchy pasta cooking water gently cooks the eggs, yielding a creamy sauce that clings to pasta in the most luxurious way. The trick to nailing the sauce is to add the water a little bit at a time—add it too quickly and you risk scrambling the eggs. Leftover ham takes this dish up a delicious notch; diced and then browned until crisp, it adds savory richness to each bite.

82 Easy Pasta Dinners The Whole Family Will Love

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup), plus more for garnish

  • 3 oz. pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)

  • 7 large egg yolks

  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

  • 1 (16-oz.) pkg. spaghetti

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 8 oz. leftover Honey-Glazed Ham, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas

  • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)

  • 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic (from 2 cloves)

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mixed tender herbs (such as basil, tarragon, and/or chives), plus leaves for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high. Whisk together cheeses, egg yolks, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.

  2. Add pasta to boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked according to package directions for al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Return drained pasta to pot, and let cool 3 minutes.

  3. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add ham; cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add peas, shallot, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until peas are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

  4. Ladle 1/3 cup of the reserved cooking water into egg mixture; whisk until blended. Whisk in another 1/3 cup cooking water to loosen the egg mixture. Quickly and gently toss egg mixture into cooked pasta so eggs don’t scramble. Continue tossing gently until cheeses are melted and a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta, about 1 minute. Add chopped fresh herbs and ham mixture; toss gently to combine.

  5. Divide pasta mixture among 4 plates. Garnish with additional herb leaves and grated cheese.

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