As always, you can find the printable version of the recipe below.
The first time I served ham at a Christmas Eve party for a crowd, I ordered way too much and upcycled the leftovers for the entire holiday break. This was even after people at the party took home their own shares.
I warmed the ham to serve alongside eggs for breakfast, threw diced pieces into grain salads, and used the ham bone to make an extraordinarily delicious pot of beans for New Year’s Eve.
I’ve ordered a much smaller ham this year, so we’ll see if I have any left over.
Either way, I’ll make this pasta this week, and here’s why:
It tastes like something I’d eat in the Alps, which I now call my “spiritual home.” After spending a week there for two summers, I look for anything that might transport me back, whether a video, a book, or a dish.
It’s so easy, thanks to the vacuum-packed bags of cooked chestnuts you find at the supermarket this time of year. (Why don’t we eat more chestnuts?)
It’s as cozy as a warm hug, which we all need this time of year.
This recipe is the last from Mission: Dinner for the year, but if you need inspiration over the holidays, you can check out the archives.
I wish you a happy and restful end of 2022, and I look forward to sharing more easy and delicious recipes with you next year!!
Pasta with Ham, Chestnuts, and Shallots
Serves 4
For this dish, you can use any type of pasta, but I love how shapes like orecchiette (meaning little ears) or small shells catch pieces of ham and chestnuts inside them.
Don’t bring out a fresh bottle of wine to make this dish, but if you have one open, a splash of dry white helps brighten it up. (I’ve enjoyed this pasta made with wine and without.)
2 extra-large shallots
6 to 8 ounces leftover ham or thickly sliced deli ham
One 3.5 to 4.5-ounce bag roasted and peeled chestnuts
¼ cup loosely packed parsley leaves (optional)
12 ounces orecchiette or small shell pasta
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth (optional)
¼ cup packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1 ounce)
Boil the water and prep the ingredients
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cut the shallots in half lengthwise. Remove the outer papery skin, then thinly slice crosswise. (You should have 1 to 1 ½ cups of shallots, but if it’s more or less, it will be ok.)
Cut the ham into bite-sized pieces. (You should have 1 to 1 ½ cups.)
Roughly chop the chestnuts.
Finely chop the parsley, if using.
Cook the pasta
When the water comes to a boil, add a few four-finger pinches of salt. Add the pasta and stir once or twice to ensure it doesn’t stick. Cook until just al dente, which is usually about 2 minutes shy of the cooking time on the package.
Grab a mug with a large handle, scoop out some of the pasta-cooking water, and reserve.
Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, cook the shallots
As the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are very soft and starting to brown, about 7 minutes.
If you’re using the wine, add it and cook, stirring, until it’s mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Finish the pasta
Add the ham and chestnuts to the skillet and cook, stirring, just to heat through, about 30 seconds.
Add the pasta and a splash of the pasta water and cook until the pasta is incorporated with the rest of the ingredients. Add the Parmigiano cheese and a bit more water and cook, stirring and tossing the pasta, until it’s coated in a creamy-seeming sauce. (Any time the pasta starts to feel like it’s sticking to the pan, add a little more pasta water.)
Taste and season with more salt, if desired, along with a few grinds of pepper.
Sprinkle the pasta with the parsley if you’re using it, stir again, and serve.
The short version
Thinly slice the shallots and cook until very soft. Add some wine if you’re using it. Add the roughly chopped ham and chestnuts, then the cooked pasta and toss.
Add the cheese and some pasta water and toss until creamy. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Fun for kids
Ham and chestnuts are soft to cut so if you feel comfortable, kids can use a plastic knife or even a butter knife to chop these.
Spoon the pasta into bowls.
Swaps
Instead of pasta, make this with white beans.
Instead of shallots, use a small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced.
If you want to skip the shallots and onion overall, add some frozen peas with the ham to bring some sweetness.
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see how it turns out! Tag me on Instagram @kristincdonnelly.
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