Crunchy bite-sized pieces of fresh vegetables, herbs, and ham, combined with a light and creamy dressing, make this ham pasta salad a standout! Be the belle of the buffet or the big wig of the barbecue with a bowl of this elevated summer standard.
Ham Pasta Salad
I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time working in a steamy kitchen when it’s hot outside. But we all have to eat, so pasta salad often becomes my go-to in the summertime.
It only takes a few minutes to boil the pasta, and once you’ve drained it, all the hot work is done. Rinse that pasta in cool water, chop up some vegetables and ham, and stir it all together with dressing. If you ask me, meat, vegetables, and pasta equals a full meal.
Macaroni and Ham Pasta Salad
What kind of pasta makes the best pasta salad? Very small, one-bite or smaller size pasta is the winner when it comes to pasta salad.
Ideally, the pasta should be small enough to get a piece or two in each bite. The best pasta for the job, in my opinion, is ditalini or elbow pasta.
Ham Pasta
Pasta and ham are a match made in heaven. Try fresh vegetables, ham and curly pasta noodles tossed in a simple cream sauce for this ham, vegetable, and pasta skillet recipe.
Sweet peas enter the arena with this excellent warm Ham and Pea Pasta. And chunks of savory, smoky ham are added to perfectly seasoned, gooey, cheesy pasta fors macaroni and cheese with ham.
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Ham Pasta Salad
Crunchy fresh bite-sized pieces of vegetables, herbs, and ham in a light and creamy dressing combine to make this ham pasta salad a stand out!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 12servings
Calories 304kcal
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
16ouncestiny elbow macaroni or ditalini pasta
3cupstiny broccoli florets
2cupscooked hamcut into ½" pieces
1English cucumberchopped into ½" pieces, about 1 cup
1red pepperfinely diced, about 1 cup
½small red onionvery thinly sliced and then diced, about ½ cup
2green onionsvery thinly sliced, about 3 tablespoons
¼cupfresh Italian parsleyfinely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
Dressing Ingredients
1cupmayonnaise
1½tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
1teaspoonsugar
½teaspoonkosher saltadjust to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. Just before the noodles are done cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Let the broccoli boil for about 30 seconds and then drain everything into a large colander. Rinse well with cold water.
Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the bowl and stir well to coat.
Add the ham, cucumber, pepper, red and green onions, amd parsley and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.
Notes
If you forget to toss the broccoli in the boiling water at the end of the pasta’s cooking time, you can also steam it in the microwave. Place the broccoli in a glass bowl along with a tablespoon of water. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, until the broccoli is bright green and barely softened.
