The Italians sure know how to create a delicious dish from a few simple ingredients . A great way to use up those little pieces of Christmas ham left over in the freezer. The Italian name for this dish is “Pasta alla papalina”, which translates to “pasta for the Pope”, served to Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who became Pope Pius XII. According to folklore the cardinal asked a Vatican restaurateur to make him a more refined version of “spaghetti alla carbonara”. The chef came this classic, substituting using prosciutto instead of the traditional guanciale. He also added onion and finished it off with a dash of cream. The original recipe substituted Fettucine for Spaghetti, but feel free to use whatever you have at hand. Peas are not part of the original recipe, but lots of variations include them.

±250g Spaghetti, fettucine or tagliatelle

2T butter

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

±250g cooked ham, diced

1 cup frozen peas

250ml cream

±50g Parmesan, grated

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion for 1-2 minutes until it softens. Add the ham and cook for 3-4 minutes until it changes colour a bit.

Add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender.

Add the cream to the ham and peas mixture and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to thickens.

Add the parmesan cheese and a good grind of black pepper, and stir in. 

Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss it well in the sauce. Stir in a bit of pasta water, if the sauce becomes too thick. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and extra grated Parmesan.