Creamy Ham Pasta Salad Recipe

I originally made this Creamy Ham Pasta Salad as an Easter dish idea. It’s a great way to get ham on your Easter table without having to cook a whole ham. Very helpful if you’re feeding a smaller crowd. But this pasta salad is actually great all year long! Ham steaks are usually widely available anytime at most grocery stores. So, you really can make this ham pasta salad throughout the year.

Ham steaks are usually precooked, so if you prefer, you can just chop them up and throw them into the pasta salad cold. But for this recipe, I chose to fry the diced ham and bell peppers in some butter first before adding them to the pasta salad.

Taking this extra step helps to release some amazing flavors which adds wonders to the pasta salad. And since the ham steaks are already precooked, you don’t have to fry them for very long.

Other than the ham and bell peppers, this pasta salad also includes red onions, canned peas and of course the creamy dressing! A simple combination of mayo, Dijon mustard, garlic salt and pepper combine for a flavor packed dressing that compliments the contents of this pasta salad perfectly.

One more thing to note is that this recipe makes a humongous double batch that can easily feed over 10 people! When it comes to pasta salad, I ALWAYS make huge batches because we love having leftovers in our household. There’s something about pasta salad that just makes it taste even better on day two. 😋

The huge batch size of this recipe also makes it perfect for parties. Pasta salad is definitely an affordable way to feed a crowd.  But if you’re cooking for a smaller crew or just a simple dinner at home, you can easily cut this recipe in half. Read on to see the full ingredient list and directions for this delicious Creamy Ham Pasta Salad recipe!

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Creamy Ham Pasta Salad Recipe

Course: Sides u0026amp; SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

506

kcal

This Creamy Ham Pasta Salad is filled with bell peppers, peas, onions and an incredibly savory dressing making it a refreshing side dish all year long!

Ingredients

• FOR PASTA SALAD

• 32 oz shell or elbow pasta

• 16 oz ham steak, diced into bite sized pieces

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 Tbs butter

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ red onion, chopped

• 2 canned peas (15 oz each)

• FOR DRESSING

• 2 cups mayo

• 3 Tbs Dijon mustard

• 1 ½ tsp garlic salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside for now
• While pasta is cooking – In a large skillet melt the butter on medium heat. Add the diced ham and fry for about 5 minutes
• Add the chopped bell peppers, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper to the skillet. Mix and fry another 5 minutes
• Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayo, Dijon mustard, garlic salt and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth
• Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl. Pour HALF the dressing and mix well
• Add the peas, onions, fried ham and bell peppers to the bowl as well. Mix well, then, add the remaining dressing. Mix until everything is coated well
• Refrigerate for about 4 hours to cool completely (or overnight)

Notes

• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.