Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach, and Ham

Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach, and Ham ~ a delicious 20 minute pasta dish that gets dinner on the table in no time at all. Cheese tortellini is tossed with sauteed ham, asparagus, baby spinach, and a light Parmesan cheese sauce. As an added bonus, this is the perfect delicious recipe to use up leftover holiday ham.

Looking for leftover ham recipes that are out of this world? I always make a big pot of my Hearty Split Pea Soup with Ham, a few Hawaiian Tortilla Pizzas, and a Hash Brown Crust Quiche with leftover holiday ham. This Cheese Tortellini Pasta dish is a new addition to my recipe files. Putting the pork leftovers to a delicious use!

gather the ingredients

• cheese tortellini
• thin asparagus spears ~ these cook up the quickest!
• extra virgin olive oil
• onion ~ yellow, Vidalia or white onions are all delicious choices
• thick sliced ham
• fresh baby spinach
• reduced sodium chicken stock
• heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese ~ either shredded or grated
• fresh parsley

how to make this easy pasta with ham recipe

• Cook the tortellini pasta and asparagus ~ Cook the tortellini in boiling salted water. Add the asparagus the last few minutes and cook until just tender.
• Sauté the veggies and ham ~ Use a large sauté pan and sauté onions, the diced ham, and baby spinach.
• Add the liquids ~ Pour in the reduced sodium chicken stock and heavy cream; simmer to reduce the sauce.
• Sprinkle in the cheese ~ Add the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine, and simmer some more.
• Add the cooked tortellini pasta and asparagus ~ Gently add the tortellini and asparagus and toss to combine with the sauce.

Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and serve!

cooking tips

• Choose your favorite tortellini pasta ~ Choose cheese, meat, or cheese and vegetable filled tortellini for this recipe.
• Fresh vs. frozen tortellini ~ If fresh tortellini is available, by all means use it! The fresh pasta is more delicate than the frozen counterpart and produces little bundles of goodness.
• No one likes mushy pasta ~ Watch the tortellini pasta as it cooks. It can easily turn mushy and fall apart if overcooked. Test the pasta for the doneness a couple minutes before the suggested cooking time.
• Use deli ham ~ If you enjoyed all your holiday ham at your celebration, pick up some ham from the deli counter. Have the it cut in about 1 inch thick slices so it is easy to dice into cubes.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator ~ Any tortellini leftovers can be stored in air tight containers (like these glass storage dishes) in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave on 60% power for 1 to 2 minutes.

just one more thing

If you make my pasta and ham recipe, I'd love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

Recipe

Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach, and Ham

Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach, and Ham ~ a delicious 20 minute pasta dish that gets dinner on the table in no time at all. Cheese tortellini is tossed with sauteed ham, asparagus, baby spinach and, a light Parmesan cheese sauce. As an added bonus, this is the perfect delicious recipe to use up leftover holiday ham.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Amy Casey

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
• ½ pound thin asparagus spears trimmed and cut in 2 inch pieces, about 2 cups
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 8 ounces thick sliced ham diced, about 2 cups
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• season to taste with kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add couple pinches of salt and the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions. About 3 minutes before the tortellini is finished cooking, add the asparagus. Cook until the pasta is finished cooking, and the asparagus is just tender. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the ham and continue sauteing until it starts to get crispy and browned on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the spinach to the sauté pan. Stir and continue sauteing until the it is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in the reduced sodium chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and let reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in the heavy cream and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Continue simmering for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Add the cooked tortellini and asparagus to the sauce. Gently stir to coat the pasta and asparagus with the sauce.
• Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley and serve.

Video

Notes

• Choose your favorite tortellini pasta ~ Choose cheese, meat, or cheese and vegetable filled tortellini for this recipe.
• Fresh vs. frozen tortellini ~ If fresh tortellini is available, by all means use it! The fresh pasta is more delicate than the frozen counterpart and produces little bundles of goodness.
• No one likes mushy pasta ~ Watch the tortellini pasta as it cooks. It can easily turn mushy and fall apart if overcooked. Test the pasta for the doneness a couple minutes before the suggested cooking time.
• Use deli ham ~ If you enjoyed all your holiday ham on the holiday, pick up some ham from the deli counter. Have the ham cut into 1 inch thick slices so it is easy to dice into cubes.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator ~ Any tortellini leftovers can be stored in an air tight containers (like these glass storage dishes) in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave on 60% power for 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/5 of recipe | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 55.5g | Protein: 31.9g | Fat: 26.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.7g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1224mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 1.9g

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