30 mins
Creamy Ham, Leek and Mushroom Spaghetti
Recipe by Graham
Creamy Ham, Leek and Mushroom Spaghetti proves that those mouth-watering creamy pasta dishes needn't be on the 'forbidden' menu list when you're watching your weight - by using a low-fat soft cheese like Philadelphia Light, this tasty recipe works out at 384 kcalories (21g protein, 53g carbohydrate, 11g fat, 8g fibre) per serving
Creamy Corn and Vegetable Soup 
Creamy Hotpot Ingredients for Creamy Ham, Leek and Mushroom Spaghetti
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Creamy Ham, Leek and Mushroom Spaghetti
- In preparation, wash and thinly slice the leeks, thinly slice the mushrooms, peel and crush (mince) the garlic and roughly shred the ham.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, stir in the sliced leeks along with 2 tablespoons of water, a pinch of salt and a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes over a medium heat until the leeks have softened. Add the crushed garlic and sliced mushrooms, then cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack (usually about 5-7 minutes in boiling, salted water), then drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid. Stir the soft cheese into the leek and mushroom mixture in the pan and add a little of the reserved pasta liquid to create a sauce-like consistency. Stir in the ham, the Parmesan cheese and the basil leaves, then toss in the spaghetti and mix well. Serve hot with a glass of dry, white wine.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Little-known fact... if you break your spaghetti in two before adding it to the water, the resulting liquid will taste stronger so will flavour your sauce more.
Reviews of Creamy Ham, Leek and Mushroom Spaghetti
 January 13 2015Excellent. The secret to having this turn out tasty is to generously season when the recipe says "add some seasoning". Do add generous amounts of pepper, make sure there's enough salt (taste as you go and even overseason slightly before adding the cheese), and a good dose of freshly grated nutmeg. If you like garlic, definitely add more than two cloves -- there's a lot of cream cheese for the spices to get through. You can also add some vegetable broth (powdered or liquid) in addition to the spices or instead of the pasta water. kath (3 reviews) |
September 11 2014 I used Philadelphia Light 'garlic and herbs', rather than plain cheese. Adds extra flavour to it, and season the leaks and mushrooms with plenty of fresh ground pepper - yummy! Sandy (3 reviews) |
February 03 2014 Easy, fast and tasty. I did this to use up some leftover air-dried ham but would definitely make again. Husband loved it too. Omitted the basil as had none, but didn't think it probably mattered too much. I only seasoned with plenty of pepper, since you're getting some saltiness with the soft cheese and plenty more with the ham and parmesan bedlynn (7 reviews) |
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| November 25 2013 A hit with my 13 yr old and she went back for seconds!! Makes me very happy when I can find meals that she loves. Fast, easy and on the table in no time. The only changes I made was that I had no basil in the fridge so I added a Philly Cheese with Herbs instead, plus extra crushed garlic (but then again, I add garlic to everything, more or less) & cubed ham instead of wafer. On my Hit List for quick mid week meals!! Linda (2 reviews) |
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