Easy Ham & Broccoli Pasta Bake

This Easy Ham & Broccoli Pasta Bake is the perfect bowl of comfort food. Ham and broccoli pair really well together and I've bound them together in a creamy cheesy pasta sauce with tagliatelle and topped off with more cheese before placing into a dish ready for baking.

This creamy ham pasta bake is a favourite in my family. It’s a lovely warming dish for this time of year, but one we all enjoy the year round. That’s the thing about a simple pasta bake, it’s something all the family enjoy eating.

Cheesy ham & broccoli pasta bake is a great mid-week dinner dish, as it can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, ready to bake in the oven when it's time to eat.

Why you'll love this recipe

• The perfect creamy sauce, this is comfort food in a bowl.
• Make ahead and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
• Feed a crowd as this recipe can be easily doubled up.
• Uses simple ingredients that most of your will have in your stores at home.

Recipe ingredients

• Pasta - I've used tagliatelle but you can use any shape of pasta, penne, rigatoni and fusilli would all work well too.
• Broccoli - I used a regular head of broccoli, broken into bite-sized florets.
• Garlic - for the best flavour use fresh garlic, although garlic puree can work in a pinch.
• Ham - this recipe uses cooked ham. I like to go for a box of thick cut smoked ham trimmings, as you're cutting the ham anyway and this is a great budget option. It's also a great recipe for using up leftover roast ham.
• Cheese - I use a combination of Parmesan and cheddar cheese to flavour the dish and also to sprinkle over the top.
• Butter - you can use salted or unsalted butter in the creamy sauce.
• Flour - use regular plain flour (all purpose) to thicken the sauce.
• Milk - I prefer to use semi skimmed milk when making the sauce.
• Cream - use single cream (half and half) to make the pasta sauce extra creamy.
• Seasoning - I keep the seasoning simple with a little sea salt and black pepper.

How to make Ham & Broccoli Pasta Bake

• Place the tagliatelle in a pan of boiling salted water and cook as per packet instructions until al-dente. Remove a cup of pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, place the broccoli in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes then drain and set aside.

• To make the creamy pasta sauce, start by melting the butter in a non stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and keep whisking to cook out the flour for a couple of minutes.
• Gradually add the milk in small batches, taking time to whisk to a smooth sauce at each stage. Once all the milk has been combined add the single cream and season with salt and pepper.

• In a large mixing bowl place the tagliatelle, broccoli, garlic, ham and the majority of the Parmesan and cheddar cheese (setting some aside to top the finished dish).
• Pour over the white sauce and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

• Add the retained pasta cooking water and stir that through the sauce. The pasta cooking water will not only season the dish but also help the sauce coat the pasta.
• Place in a large oven-proof dish and top with the remaining cheese.
• Place in a pre-heated oven at 200C/180CFan/400F and bake for 40 minutes until the dish is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Recipe variations

• I've used a pack of thick cut ham trimmings which have a bit more bite and are also a cost effective option. You can use any variety of ham, honey cured, maple cured, smoked ham.
• This recipe is also a great way of using up leftover roast ham.
• If you have no ham, substitute with roast chicken.
• Use any variety of vegetables, sliced mushrooms, green beans, garden peas, carrots, zucchini would all work in this dish.
• Stir through a handful of leafy greens like spinach or kale along with the other ingredients.

Serving suggestions

This is a hearty and filling bowl of pasta so I like to keep any additional sides on the lighter side. Try a green salad or tomato salad. You can also serve crusty bread, focaccia or garlic bread if you want something to mop up the creamy pasta sauce.

Useful hints and tips

1. Don't over cook the pasta cook till just al-dente then drain as you will be baking the pasta in the oven too.
2. Don't skip adding the pasta water, as the starchy pasta water helps get the sauce to the right consistency and helps the sauce cling to the pasta. The salty water also helps season the sauce.
3. Double up this recipe if you are feeding a crowd. You can either use 2 large oven proof dishes, or one very large dish.
4. Allergy advice: egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite pasta recipes:

• Creamy Sausage Pasta
• Creamy Chicken & Bacon Tomato Pasta
• Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
• Smoked Salmon Pasta
• Pumpkin Pasta with Brown Butter
• Gnocchi with Chorizo & Courgette 

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners. Full of useful hints, tips and recipes.