Let's take it back a childhood favorite of mine… Schinkennudeln! It's a ham and cheese pasta and it is truly what my childhood tastes like.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I can’t even begin to describe the memories that Schinkennudeln brings back for me. It was our favorite dinner and my mom is the best at making it. Mine comes out equally as delish but there’s something really special about my mom or omi (grandma) making it for me (also they do the dishes which is an added bonus!). In its simplest form this is a ham and cheese pasta. It’s easy, inexpensive and perfect for a crowd.
All you need are a few things to get the ball rolling. Pasta - duh. I like to use orecchiette because they are like little ears of pasta with an indent that’s perfect for catching bites of ham and cheese so each bite is loaded with plenty of flavor. Ham - naturally. It’s the star of the dish! Frozen Peas - because mom always wanted us to have a few veggies. And some CHEESE, because why not! Trust me when I tell you that you’ve gotta try it!! I mean look at these 2 little girls - tell me they don't look pumped post-Schinkennudeln! If breakfast is what you want, check out my ham and cheese crepes!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ham
- Orecchiette pasta
- Olive Oil
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Peas
- Pasta Cooking Water
- Parmesan Cheese
- Colby Jack Cheese
- Lemon Zest
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper freshly cracked
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Schinkennudeln
Step 1: Heat a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Step 2: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat until melted. Add the shallot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Step 4: Stir in the cubed ham and the frozen peas and toss to combine.
Step 5: Add in the reserved pasta cooking water and then the pasta.
Step 6: Add the 2 varieties of cheese.
Step 7: Season with salt and pepper and lemon zest. Toss to combine and serve as needed.
How to Store Schinkennudeln
You can store this in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Tips & Tricks
I like to use orecchiette because they are like little ears of pasta with an indent that’s perfect for catching bites of ham and cheese so each bite is loaded with plenty of flavor.
FAQs
Can I skip the peas?
Sure, if peas are not your thing, feel free to skip it.
What is orecchiette?
Its a pasta shape that comes from the word for ear in Italian, because their shape resembles that. They are great for simple pastas with sauces since they fill up little pockets of sauce and wrap well in it. That is also the reason I love them in this dish to catch little bites of ham and peas.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Schinkennudeln (Ham & Cheese Pasta)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups diced ham
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- ½ cup pasta cooking water
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup grated Colby jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat until melted. Add the shallot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the cubed ham and the frozen peas and toss to combine.
- Add in the reserved pasta cooking water and then the pasta and 2 varieties of cheese. Season with salt and pepper and lemon zest. Toss to combine and serve as needed.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
This was absolutely fabulous! Although I did have to sub and ad lib. I didn’t have peas so I subbed 1.5 cups of chopped frozen spinach, & instead of Colby jack I used cheddar. I had about a 1/4 cup of heavy cream and used that in the end and I also had deli ham so I diced that and used 4 slices of bacon I had leftover. I cooked the bacon first then cooked everything in the bacon grease instead of olive oil. I really would like to try it as written next time!!
Can this be frozen and stored as a postpartum meal?
sure can
So delicious and simple! My son devoured almost all of it in a day. I used the Trader Joe’s cheddar/gruyere blend as that is our favorite cheese. So creamy and good!!!!
This was very good! Mine didn't seem as creamy as yours. I did not use pre-shredded cheese. Would you suggest increasing the pasta water or maybe smaller pasta (I used large shells because it's what I had on hand)?
Easy and yummy, toddler loved it!
Lovely and delicious recipes for my Easter planning. Cant wait to try each of them. Most are my kids favorite.
Easy and tastes fabulous!! Family loved it and it reheats well for lunch.
Can you use honey baked ham?
yes! cube it up
This might just be the best use ever for my leftover Christmas ham!!!
First time I have made a German dish. YUM! The perfect comfort food!
I just love how simple and delicious this is!! A quick go to if you are pressed for time.