easy peasy pasta with ham and peas

christmas is over...the kids have gone back to jobs and school...the house is pretty much trashed with christmas clutter and bailey is depressed.  i needed a quick dinner to use up some of the mad surplus in the fridge and soothe the soul.  i made this with left over ham. it is warm, creamy and satisfying.  it takes about 15-20 minutes....it was the perfect recipe for the day!

yummy creamy and screaming hot

recipe after the jump

4 thick slices of leftover baked ham (mine was a butcher smoked spiral) diced
2 large shallots chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
3 table spoons of good olive oil...plus some drizzled on top at the end
1/4 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup of heavy cream
2/3 lb of pasta can use whichever long pasta you like, cook 1 min less than package directions
reserve a cup of pasta water
1 cup of frozen peas (defrosted on the counter in a cup of water then drained)
small handful of fresh parsley chopped
salt and pepper to taste
good parmesan cheese
(serves 2 adults, one depressed dog with a nice leftover portion for lunch later in the week).

boil the water for the pasta and get ready to drop it in.  meanwhile in a sauté pan, add olive oil and shallots...cook for about 8 minutes until translucent...then add the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes on medium low...don't burn the garlic.  then add the stock to deglaze the pan....cook until almost all is reduced then add the ham and the heavy cream (drop the pasta into the boiling water now if you haven't done it yet)  cook the ham and cream mixture until it reduces by almost half....bubbly but not boiling like crazy.  if the pasta is not ready yet...take this sauce off the heat until it is. ..... then drain the pasta ) saving a cup of the water) dump pasta into the cream sauce in the sauté pan and add the peas...stir it up on low heat ...adding pasta water about an 1/8th of a cup at a time....stop when it gets creamy (won't need the whole cup)...cook it for one minute....top with fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated parm...a drizzle of good olive oil...salt and pepper....heaven on a plate.