Recipes Dinners Comfort Food

Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake - with parmesan, mozzarella, and ham. This cheesy pasta is comfort food at it's best and a delicious weeknight meal.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Published November 17, 2016
Elise Bauer
Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
Elise Bauer

Featured in 11 Casseroles to Double and Freeze

What happens when pasta meets up with a Mozzarella and Parmesan-loaded white sauce tossed with chopped ham and herbs? Magic! Belly-warming, rich, cheesy magic.

There are times when all we need is a big bowl of comfort. That is exactly what we’re making here with this ham and cheese pasta bake.

I made this ham and cheese pasta the other day and sent it home with my parents. They came back the next day to insist that I put the recipe on the site, they liked it that much.

Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
Elise Bauer

Cheese Pasta + Ham and Cheese Casserole

This dish has the flavors of a ham and cheese casserole with cheesy pasta. It's sort of a jazzed up mac-n-cheese, but for this extra cheesy pasta bake, we’re using fusilli pasta instead of elbow macaroni. The twisted fusilli pasta is bite-sized, and all those curves make the pasta the perfect vehicle for capturing and holding the thick and creamy white sauce.

Along with a creamy cheese sauce we have tossed in some Italian seasoning, parsley, green onions and a bunch of chopped ham. Perfect!

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Casserole with Pasta
Elise Bauer

This Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake reheats beautifully and lasts at least 5 days (covered) in the fridge. When reheating a large batch on the stovetop you may need to add some more milk or water to it to loosen up the sauce.

Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Nutmeg is an essential spice for the white sauce. That said, it is easy to overdo it. Start with a small amount, ¼ teaspoon, and add more if needed.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fusilli pasta
  • Salt for pasta water
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced,
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano, thyme, and basil)
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
  • 3 ounces (about 1 cup, packed) shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 ounces (about 1 cup, packed) shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 10 ounces diced ham (about 2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onion greens or chives

Method

  1. Make pasta:

    Put a big pot of salted water onto boil on high heat for the pasta (4 quarts, 2 Tbsp salt). While the pasta water is heating, prep the other ingredients.

    Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Let the water return to a rolling boil and cook, uncovered, for 9 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is “al dente”, cooked through but still slightly firm to the bite.

  2. Make roux:

    Melt the butter in a large (3 to 4 quart), thick-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the minced garlic. Let the garlic sizzle for a few seconds. Add the flour and whisk so that any lumps are dissolved. Let the roux (flour and butter) bubble and cook for a minute or two.

  3. Make the sauce:

    Slowly add the milk and cream, a quarter cup at a time, whisking until incorporated after each addition. Increase the heat to medium high. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground black pepper. (You may want to increase these later to taste.) Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

    Add half of the shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, whisking until melted and incorporated into the sauce.

    Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt (again, you may want to increase this to taste).

    Stir in 1 cup of water (can use pasta cooking water if you want).

  4. Preheat oven to 400°F:
  5. Combine pasta with sauce, ham, parsley, onion greens:

    Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the ham. Add the chopped parsley and onion greens or chives. Gently stir to combine. Taste, and add more nutmeg, salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning to taste.

  6. Bake:

    Transfer the pasta mixture to an oven-proof casserole dish (if you are using a Dutch oven to make the sauce, there is no need to transfer to another dish). Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Bite full of Ham and Cheese Casserole
Elise Bauer