Tuesday, April 13, 2010

leftover inspiration


The lovable Kary, over at My Farmhouse Kitchen, has been talking about her never ending Easter ham and the creative ways she's been using the leftovers. We had leg of lamb for Easter, but I picked up a ham last weekend, marked down in the post Easter clearance. After a few meals, I was ready for something different, so I made a variation of Kary's pasta. I'm not sure how she does it, but she always pictures her pasta dishes with the pasta curled up in a beautiful twist. My lame attempt is pictured above. Anyway, this was absolutely delicious and really simple to make. The browning of the ham with the mushrooms and onions gives the sauce a wonderful earthy, smoky flavor. Thanks, Kary, for the inspiration. Here's my take on her ham pasta theme:

1 pound pasta
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 2 inch pieces
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup sliced ham, cut in strips
3/4 cup cream (I used Land O Lakes fat free)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp butter
freshly ground pepper to taste

While pasta is cooking in salted water, cook asparagus in salted water, in separate pan until just tender-crisp. Saute mushrooms, onion and ham in butter in a large skillet, until tender and browned. Add cream to mushroom mixture and incorporate all those lovely brown crispies in the bottom of the pan into the cream. Add pepper to taste. Remember, the ham is salty, so I didn't add any extra salt. Add hot drained pasta, cheese, and if needed, a bit of the pasta water. Toss and serve. Yum-o-yum. A wonderful spring dinner.

Serves 4

38 comments:

  1. Gosh, am I first? Prodigious blogging output, willow.

    I loved this picture - it made me hungry. So did the recipe.

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  2. Dear Willow, I have, I fear, never cooked and most likely never will. But I am so tempted by the receipts which you include from time to time in your postings, and this one is no exception. Your family are very, very fortunate.

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  3. I'll jot this one down. We buy hams when the g'kids come but it seems like they last forever.

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  4. Sounds great! I'm doing a similar pasta this evening -- but with shrimp, broccoli, red and yellow peppers, and shitakes.

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  5. This sounds delicious. My kids will love it. Fresh veggies and parmesan, yummy.

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  6. I know what's for lunch today! Yum!

    Thanks for your generous comments on my posts ~ I love being part of the Magpie crowd.

    It's fun to pretend to be someone else for a change. I am having a great time with it.

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  7. Ooh! Mushrooms! Anything involving mushrooms, of course. Not keen on asparagus but it's been cheaper than spinach, of late. It'd do :)

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  8. Oh yeah, I would make this and we would eat it all. You did a great job with the twisty twirly thingy!!

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  9. That sounds delicious.

    I love the idea of a never-ending ham. It's a miracle! Or ... not!

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  10. I'll be making this one. I just bought a clearance ham and will be cooking soon. Thanks, Willow!

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  11. I wouldn't call you picture a lame attempt at all; I thought it was great. And the recipe sounds easy and delicious. Yum-o-yum is right!

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  12. Willow

    that looks and sounds delish---I am going to try this weekend! Thanks!

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  13. Willow, how is it that everything you cook comes out looking like it should be on the cover of Food Network Magazine? Another beautiful and delicious looking dish accomplished! ;)

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  14. nice...we have quite a bit left over still...

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  15. This is making my mouth water. I don't have any Easter ham, but I do believe I am going to buy some and make this dish soon. Thank you!

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  16. Like the combination of asparagus and mushrooms!

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  17. Ooh, this does sound lovely. We have so many mushrooms popping up here, I only need to buy some asparagus!

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  18. Oh yum. Easy-peasy and I'll be trying. Thanks!

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  19. Oooh I wish I had this for supper ;)
    Doesn't it look scrumptious.
    I shall try it tomorrow !

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  20. Just printed it out. Your poached egg/mushroom recipe was awesome.

    I didn't know about the fat-free cream. I think this would be grand with leftover chicken too.

    Thanks.

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  21. sounds great. you can pan fry the asparagus too, just slit it in half, along w/the mushrooms etc. I did that for my ham/asparagus omlet.

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  22. Oh that looks so good, and if you had not told us that you had taken the picture, then I would have thought it had come from a magazine. All of your pictures of food come out amazing.

    I love the recipes that you always post and truly hope you continue to do them. Between you and Betsy I think I am making a cookbook of fantastic recipes.

    Thank you so much for sharing them with us, they are much appreciated.

    God bless.

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  23. While I was away visiting friends last week, we used the leftover spiral ham almost every day. I wish I had made this for them! Looks delish.

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  24. Sounds yummy! Just caught up on posts because I've been out of the blogosphere for a bit, love the post re: Edna St. Vincent Millay. I just finished doing Romeo and juliet and there were nights I woke up with Shakespeare's poetry running through my mind. So lovely! Also, noticed you liked The Visitor (it's by the same people who made Station Agent) I really liked it as well!

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  25. That sounds delicious! I am sorry now that my ham is gone. I did make a delicious split pea soup and Hambalaya!

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  26. Yum. I make a pasta primivera dish with asparagus, ham and mushrooms that's very similar to this. It's a nice combination and very tasty.

    Have you made Kary's Dilly Bread? It's wonderful, too!

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  27. Willow, your food picture looks wonderful. Truthfully most of the food pictures featured on blogs are often unappetizing but you manage to capture the dish beautifully. Yum!

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  28. Hi Willow! I'm not much for mushrooms...but oh my! What a gorgeous photo heading your blog right now!

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  29. I, too have been wrestling with the ham that never ends! Thank you for such a delicious suggestion.

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  30. http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/the-celebrate-blogger-of-march-in-short-story-writing-award-and-more-announcement-for-nomination/

    hope that you help nominate a few blogs that are doing short stories,
    or humor,
    or cartoon.
    simply comment under the post.
    an award is included...

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  31. What kind of wine would you serve with this mouth-watering dish? I admire people who can make food look so good. The land-o-lakes creme I have never noticed in Canada, the margarine I see occasionally. Wonders were I can fat-free creme. I thought to be creme it had to be fat! This is good news!

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  32. She probably twirls it, with a fork set against the hollow of a spoon, before sliding it gently on a plate.

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  33. Willow,
    Sound's like an interesting movie.
    I'll have to see That.

    Thanks for the tip. yvonne.

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  34. Spacedlaw, I must practice the art of pasta twirling before my next noodly photo shoot!

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  35. This sounds VERY like a dish we made with leftover ham as well. It, too, was delicious. You're making me hungry. Wish I had leftover-leftovers now.

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  36. Brush with Color, I just had a little dish of the leftover leftovers for lunch. Mmm. Why is it that the leftovers sometimes taste better the second time around?

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  37. Wow..Willow..BEAUTIFUL...looks so good..nice photograph...

    glad you liked it...it does look good....

    so HAPPY you made it ...that makes ME HAPPY !

    sending love to you my sweet friend,

    Kary

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)