If there is one dish that instantly transports me back to growing up in a German household, it is Schinkennudeln. This ham and cheese pasta is pure nostalgia on a plate, the kind of cozy, no-fuss weeknight dinner that never gets old no matter how many times you make it. If you are already a fan of cheesy pasta situations, you are going to want to bookmark Cheesy Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake and Italian Mac and Cheese Bake for your rotation too. And honestly, if you are anything like me and love a good ham and cheese combo in general, my Three Cheese Pesto Pasta Bake with Sausage belongs on your list as well.
Schinkennudeln at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes (5 min prep + 15 min cook)
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: German / Weeknight comfort pasta
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Salty diced ham and sharp Parmesan; sweet shallots and frozen peas for pop; bright lemon zest finish; melted Colby Jack ties everything into a creamy emulsion with the reserved pasta water
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains pork, dairy, and gluten
- 📦 Storage Notes: Holds 3 days covered in the fridge; reheat over medium with a splash of pasta water or milk to loosen the cheese sauce (it tightens up cold); not recommended for freezing, because the cheese emulsion breaks on thaw
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: The 20-minute one-pot weeknight pasta with full comfort-food payoff. Salty ham, frozen peas straight from the bag, two cheeses, and pasta water that emulsifies into a clinging sauce. The dinner your kids will request again on Friday because Tuesday's was that good.
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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!
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Ingredients
- 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.
Substitutions & Swaps
🐷 Ham
- Black Forest ham - The classic German pick; smoky depth without being overpowering
- Prosciutto cotto - Italian cooked ham; tender and mild, holds its shape in the pasta water
- Leftover holiday ham - The unbeatable upgrade if you have it; chop a cup and a half from the bone-in roast
- Diced pancetta - Rendered first for the fat to cook the shallots in; closer to carbonara energy
🧀 Cheese
- Gruyère - The most authentic German swap; nutty, melts smoothly, holds up under the heat
- Fontina - Italian alpine cheese, gorgeous melter; the silkiest sauce of the bunch
- Sharp cheddar - Trades the alpine register for American comfort; more mac-and-cheese energy, still delicious
🍝 Pasta Shape
- Cavatappi - Corkscrew shape catches sauce inside and out; my number-two pick after orecchiette
- Shells (conchiglie) - Big cups grab the peas and ham bits; great for kid bowls
- Farfalle - The pinched centers hold sauce; quick cook time
- Rigatoni - Bigger tubes for a heartier bite; bumps cook time to 13 minutes
- Penne rigate - Ridges grab sauce; widely available and a safe default
🫛 Vegetables & Add-Ins
- Baby spinach - Wilt in at the end if peas aren't your thing; same color, less sweet
- Sautéed mushrooms - Cremini or chanterelles for an earthy upgrade; brown them before the shallots
- Caramelized onions - Swap for the shallots when you want deep sweet; takes 25 extra minutes
- Fresh thyme or sage - A teaspoon in the shallot sauté; sage brown butter is the move if you go that route
- Blanched asparagus tips - Spring upgrade; adds bite the peas don't
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 for the Best Schinkennudeln
The German comfort-pasta playbook: cheese-plus-pasta-water emulsion, salty ham, frozen-pea pop
- Reserve a full cup of pasta water, not the recipe's half. You'll use it twice: once to build the cheese emulsion, once to loosen the sauce right before serving. Extra is free insurance.
- Pull the pasta one minute shy of al dente. It finishes cooking in the cheese sauce off-heat. Boiling it to package directions overshoots once you account for the residual cook.
- Grate Parmesan fresh off the wedge. Pre-grated Parm has anti-caking starch that won't melt smooth. You'll get gritty sauce instead of velvet. This is the single biggest determinant of whether the dish reads home-cooked or restaurant.
- Brown the ham, don't just warm it. Get color on at least half the dice for the salty-caramelized depth that defines this dish. Pale ham reads like leftovers; browned ham reads like dinner.
- Add cheese OFF heat. Once the pasta and pasta water are back in the pan, kill the burner before the Parm and Colby go in. Direct heat breaks the emulsion and you end up with a greasy puddle and a stringy ball of cheese.
- Sweet-sauté the shallots, don't brown them. Three patient minutes at medium-low pulls the sugars out. If they color, you've gone too hot and the bitter notes carry through the whole dish.
- Drop the frozen peas in at the 11-minute pasta mark. Straight from the bag, no thaw. They cook with the pasta for the last minute and drain with it. Adding them to the cheese pan dilutes the sauce with frozen-water weep.
- Lemon zest at the end is non-negotiable. Half a teaspoon. It cuts the richness and keeps a heavy plate from feeling heavy. Skip and the dish reads one-note.
- Don't pre-salt the pasta water past normal. The ham and cheese are both salty. Standard pasta-water salinity (a tablespoon per 4 quarts) is plenty. Over-salt here and you can't pull it back later.
- Finish with red pepper flakes and Maldon at the table. A pinch of flakes wakes up the cheese without making it spicy; a flake of Maldon on top is the seasoning the sauce can't give you. Both at the table, not stirred in.
Schinkennudeln FAQs
What is schinkennudeln?
Schinkennudeln is a traditional German ham-and-cheese pasta, the comfort-food cousin of mac and cheese in the German home kitchen. The name combines 'Schinken' (ham) and 'Nudeln' (noodles); it's typically short pasta tossed with diced ham, melted cheese, and a quick pan sauce, often finished with peas or sautéed onions.
What pasta shape is best for schinkennudeln?
Orecchiette is my pick: the little ear-shaped cups catch the ham and peas and trap pockets of cheese sauce in every bite. Cavatappi, shells, farfalle, or rigatoni all work for the same reason. Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine doesn't hold the chunky add-ins and is the one shape category I'd skip.
Can I make schinkennudeln ahead of time?
It's a make-and-eat pasta with a cheese emulsion that's best within 30 minutes of cooking, not a make-ahead casserole. You can prep components ahead (dice the ham, slice the shallots, grate the cheese) up to a day in advance, but cook the pasta and combine just before serving. Leftovers reheat fine with a splash of pasta water or milk.
What's the best ham to use for schinkennudeln?
Diced cooked deli ham (Black Forest, honey ham, or smoked) is the practical pick. Leftover holiday ham is even better; the smoky depth is unmatched. Prosciutto cotto and speck both work for a more elevated version; dice them small and add late so they don't dry out.
Can I skip the peas?
Yes; the original German tradition often skips them. Substitute baby spinach wilted in at the end, blanched broccoli florets, or thinly sliced sautéed leeks for color and texture. Don't skip them without a substitute or the dish reads a touch heavy.
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
How could you say no?! And to bun bun
So yummy! I had everything at home except the ham, so I used bacon instead. Still delicious. 🙂
This looks simply delicious! YUMMM!
I love those cute photos! This is the ultimate comfort food!
Look at this creamy deliciousness! YUM!
Perfect Comfort food Gaby- just what I would like to eat tonight!
Fun to say and eat! This looks like the perfect dinner for tonight!
Nice, simple and tasty! Perfect!
Yummy !!! Love that it is basic and has all my faves in it.
How many servings do you estimate this to make?
4-6!
Yum, yum. Love that it is simple and has all of my favorites in it!!
We really like Cavatappi pasta cups....and ham....and cheese... um..peas are ok but I'm at an age where I don't have to... ;o)
We will have your FB page open @ 11am tomorrow (Wed the 9th) to watch you make a dish I won't even try to pronounce... :O)
Sounds and looks delicious! Recipe has been printed! 🙂
I was wondering the same thing! 🙂
1 1/2 cups diced ham!! something got wonky when I input the recipe! all fixed!
Thanks so much, I am definitely making this tonight!
How much ham should be used?
1 1/2 cups diced ham!! something got wonky when I input the recipe! all fixed!