4.7 from 30 votes
Creamy Pasta Primavera with Ham & Asparagus
This luscious vegetable primavera has a creamy lemon sauce tossed with shell pasta and diced ham. It's the perfect spring pasta dish for the whole family.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 491 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For Vegetable Primavera with Ham
- ½ pound asparagus trimmed, cut into one inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces button mushrooms wiped clean, sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- ½ pound shell pasta cooked to al dente
- 1 cup ham diced
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes diced, drained if oil-packed, reconstituted and drained if dried,
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped, optional
For Creamy Lemon Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1½ tablespoon flour
- 1½ cups homemade vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 lemon zested
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, boil 2 cups of water. Add asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp tender. While asparagus blanches, fill a medium-sized bowl with ice and water. With a slotted spoon or spider, transfer blanched asparagus to the ice bath and plunge it into the ice water to stop the cooking.
- Fill a 3 quart saucepan with water and a pinch of salt. Heat to boiling. Add shells and cook until al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned 3-5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Liquid will collect from the mushrooms as it sits, be sure to drain it off before adding mushrooms to the final dish.
Cup of Yum
For Creamy Lemon Sauce:
- Add butter and onion to the pan and saute until the onion is softened.
- Stir in flour until everything is well combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Cook and stir for one minute until bubbly.
- Add chicken broth a little at a time to the flour mixutre, stirring and scraping the pan constantly. Cook until mixture begins to thicken and takes on the consistency of a sauce. Stir in half and half and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Drain the asparagus and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add the pasta and parmesan cheese to the sauce mixture and toss well to combine. Stir in the asparagus, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, ham to the pasta and heat through over medium heat. Stir in the basil and parsley just before serving.
- Use remaining parmesan as a garnish, served on the side.
Nutrition Information
Calories
491kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
57g
(19%)
Protein
21g
(42%)
Fat
20g
(31%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Cholesterol
37mg
(12%)
Sodium
877mg
(37%)
Potassium
763mg
(22%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
1080IU
(22%)
Vitamin C
21.3mg
(24%)
Calcium
360mg
(36%)
Iron
3.1mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 491
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 491kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 57g | 19% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 37mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 877mg | 37% |
| Potassium | 763mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1080IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 21.3mg | 24% |
| Calcium | 360mg | 36% |
| Iron | 3.1mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.