A delicious leftover gammon recipe and so easy to adapt with whatever you have. Gammon Pasta is one of our favourite Christmas leftover recipes, because it always goes down well and there are so many different ways you can make it.
About this leftover gammon pasta recipe
Creamy and comforting pasta with leftover gammon and plenty of vegetables. A quick and easy gammon leftovers recipe to make sure that nothing goes to waste.
Ready in under 30 minutes, easy to adapt and just the kind of easy meal you need after days or more elaborate meals.
We always make our Air Fryer Gammon at Christmas time and we make sure to get a joint bigger than we need so that there are leftovers to make this. It's our favourite recipe for leftover gammon.
Looking for more ways to use leftovers? Try our comforting Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake, warming Turkey Soup or our quick and easy Turkey Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Gammon - We are using leftovers from our Air Fryer Gammon. You can use chunks of any cooked ham though.
- Pasta - Any pasta works here. Use a pasta shape rather than spaghetti and try to use wholegrain to make it more nutritious.
- Butter - This is what the vegetables are cooked in. You could use oil.
- Vegetables - We used shallots, mushrooms and sweetcorn. But there are lots of options for extra vegetables below.
- Creme fraiche - This is where the creaminess for the sauce comes from. We used full fat which not only has the best flavour, but it stops it from splitting. You could use cream or even cream cheese.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is best.
- Mustard - A little wholegrain mustard adds a really nice flavour boost to this.
- Herbs - We like the flavour that fresh chives add to this gammon pasta, but you could use fresh parsley instead.
- Parmesan - You could swap this for cheddar or use a bit of both.
- Salt and pepper - Season well.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make gammon pasta - Step by step
One: Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water. Cook according to the packet instructions.
Two: Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shallots and mushrooms (a). Cook until softened, about 5 minutes (b).
Three: Add the creme fraich, mustard, salt, pepper and about 50ml/0.25cup of the water from the pasta pan (a). Mix well (b).
Four: Add the Parmesan (a) and mix it in. Return to the heat for 2 minutes (b).
Five: Add the gammon and sweetcorn (a). Mix well heat for a further 2 minutes and add the chopped chives (b). Mix again.
Six: Drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Mix well to coat all the pasta in the sauce.
Serving suggestions
Garlic bread is the best side dish for pasta. Either buy some ready made, or make your own easy garlic bread by cutting up some French stick and spreading it with a mix of butter, crushed garlic and dried herbs.
Then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Why not try our Cheesy Garlic Bread or Air Fryer Garlic Bread recipe?
You could also keep it simple with a big green salad. The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too.
Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette? You could also try our Grilled Little Gem Salad.
Variations
Meat - Instead of ham, or as well as, you can use leftover Roast Chicken or leftovers from our Air Fryer Turkey.
Vegetables - Peas and sweetcorn are a great addition, as they can be added frozen to the pasta whilst it is cooking. We also like adding some leeks in at the same time as the mushrooms.
For a green boost, add some spinach. This leftover gammon pasta recipe is also a good opportunity to use other leftovers like vegetables. Leftover Roasted Brussel Sprouts of Roasted Butternut Squash work well.
Cheese - We added grated Parmesan, but any cheese that melts well will work. Try cheddar, Mozzarella or Gruyere. Crumbled blue cheese is also really good for a festive twist.
Extras - It's Christmas, why not go all out with this leftover ham recipe. You can add leftover Air Fryer Stuffing or chop up Leftover Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets.
Pasta Bake - You can turn this into a gammon pasta bake by putting everything in a baking dish when finished, topping it with cheese and breadcrumbs and then putting it under the grill for 10 minutes to crisp the cheese up or in the oven for 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gammon is the meat that has been cured and sold raw, whereas ham is cooked and sold ready to eat. When you have cooked gammon, it becomes ham.
As this already uses leftover gammon, we wouldn't recommend storing and reheating so try to only make as much as you need. However, if you do, make sure it is reheated very well and it should be fine.
Extra tips
• Make sure to reserve some pasta water to mix into the creamy sauce. The starchy water makes it super creamy, glossy and smooth.
• For some added spice you can add some red chilli flakes.
• Slices of fresh cherry tomatoes or even sun-dried tomatoes on top add a nice freshness.
• For a green veggie boost, you can add some spinach at the same time as the creme fraiche.
More pasta recipes
If you’ve tried this gammon pasta recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Leftover Gammon Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) Pasta
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Shallots - finely diced
- 200 g (7 oz) Mushrooms - sliced
- 250 ml (1 cups) Creme fraiche
- 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard
- 2 pinch Sea salt
- 2 pinch Ground black pepper
- 30 g (0.33 cups) Parmesan - grated
- 250 g (9 oz) Cooked gammon - diced
- 120 g (0.75 cups) Sweetcorn
- 5 g (1.5 tablespoon) Chives - chopped
Instructions
- Add 250 g Pasta to a pan of boiling water. Cook according to the packet instructions.
- Melt 1 tablespoon Butter in a large pan and add 2 Shallots and 200 g Mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add 250 ml Creme fraiche, 1 teaspoon Wholegrain mustard, 2 pinch Sea salt, 2 pinch Ground black pepper and about 50ml/0.25cup of the water from the pasta pan. Mix well.
- Add 30 g Parmesan and mix it in. Return to the heat for 2 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Add 250 g Cooked gammon and 120 g Sweetcorn. Mix well heat for a further 2 minutes and add 5 g Chives. Mix again.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Mix well to coat all the pasta in the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to reserve some pasta water to mix into the creamy sauce. The starchy water makes it super creamy, glossy and smooth.
- For some added spice you can add some red chilli flakes.
- Slices of fresh cherry tomatoes or even sun-dried tomatoes on top add a nice freshness.
- For a green veggie boost, you can add some spinach at the same time as the creme fraiche.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Kate says
This is such a tasty and easy way to use up leftover gammon!
Gianne says
The combination of succulent gammon and perfectly cooked pasta is a match made in heaven. The flavors blend together so beautifully, and it's so easy to make. I can't get enough of this delicious dish!
Toni says
This is so good! I love how quick and easy it is to make!
Lubna says
This recipe sounds great. Tried it with meat mince. It was flavourful and yum
Anjali says
This pasta turned out great! Super flavorful and satisfying. We used roast chicken instead and it was still delicious!
Gianne says
The combination of savory gammon and perfectly cooked pasta created a mouthwatering dish that exceeded all expectations. I can't wait to have it again!
Toni says
This is such an amazing recipe for leftovers! Thank you so much for sharing!
Michelle says
This is so tasty! A great recipe for leftover gammon, the whole family loved it.
Ieva says
We had a gammon joint for Sunday roast last weekend with plenty of leftovers, so this recipe was brilliant for us, now we have lunch to take to the office for a couple of weeks. Love the wholegrain mustard in the salad - it's delicious and filling!