You know what I love most about this ham and bowtie pasta casserole? The obvious answer is that it’s a casserole (most of us born-and-raised Midwesterners love some casseroles), but in this recipe, it’s the green peas that make me the happiest.
I love biting into a pea and feeling that pop. Weird, right?
Can’t help it.
If you’re looking for more easy pasta recipes, I have a full collection here.
Ingredients for ham and pasta casserole
- farfalle pasta (bowties)
- chopped ham
- cream of chicken soup
- milk
- chopped green chiles
- frozen peas
- shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- pepper
How to make ham and bowtie pasta casserole
So, the beauty of casseroles is that it’s kinda hard to screw them up. You can pretty much toss any ol’ ingredient you have lying around in there, so if you’re not a pea popper, it’s ok. Just toss in whatever you like.
I chopped up leftover ham, but you could make this with ground beef, ground turkey or even chicken. I’m tellin’ ya… casseroles are forgiving.
Toss anything in.
Or just follow this recipe to make the ham pasta casserole exactly like I did. Yummy!
Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water to stop it from cooking; drain and add to casserole dish. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Cover and bake!
Because this is baked in one dish, it’s similar to other easy casserole recipes that are simple to prepare in advance.
Enjoy! Planning meals around recipes like this and other easy dinner ideas makes weeknights a lot easier.
If you like pasta casseroles like this, you might also want to try this Velveeta Chicken Spaghetti or this No-Boil Manicotti.
Other casseroles you’ll love
- Mock chow mein casserole
- American goulash
- Cheesy chicken noodle casserole
- Chicken pot pie noodle casserole
- Cheesy chicken corn casserole
- Deluxe pizza spaghetti
- Chicken orzo casserole
Ham and Bowtie Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz farfalle pasta bowties
- 2 cups chopped leftover ham
- 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup milk
- 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
- 1 16 ounce pkg frozen peas thawed (A 12-ounce bag will work too)
- 1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water; drain.
- Mix all ingredients together into a large casserole dish.
- Cover and bake 45-50 minutes.
John Errera says
What size baking dish is best for this recipe?
Liz says
I usually use a 2-1/2 qt oval covered casserole dish, but a 13×9-inch casserole would work. Just make sure you cover it.
Sue Kohlhepp says
We use corn instead of peas!
Liz says
That sounds good too!
Janice says
Do you drain the chilies? Or put the liquid in also?
Liz says
No need to drain them. Just dump it all in!
Janice says
Thank You!!
Also can I use Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Celery instead? We don’t like Cream of Chicken.
Liz says
Yes, either with work but cream of celery would be my first choice. 🙂
carol lumley says
In the recipe it calls for 16 thawed peas. Is that a misprint ? Should it be more or am I just missing sonething.
Liz says
It’s a typo! So sorry. It should be a 16-ounce bag of frozen peas (but a 12 ounce bag will be fine too. It depends on how much you love peas.) lol
Candi says
Oh my goodness, this dish was so delicious!!! My husband made it, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you!!
Liz says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it so much! It’s definitely one of my favorites – I’m a casserole girl, through and through. 🙂
angie says
I just made this dish and tasted it when I finished. It needed some flavor so I added some salt, more pepper onion powder and 21 seasoning salute which I bought at Trader Joe’s. Usually when a dish called for just pepper for seasoning I’m a bit leary of it not having any flavor.
Liz says
Awesome additions! I encourage people to add seasoning to taste. The beauty of casseroles is that they’re easily customized and I love what you did!
Angie says
You did not list how many ppl this dish serves.
Liz says
Six servings and I’ve also included nutritional info now. Thanks!
Alissa Apel says
I like the added peas. It looks easy to make. I think bowtie pasta is fun.
Nadine Cathleen says
Looks so yummy! This type of pasta is my favourite, reminds me on my childhood 🙂
Kelly Hutchinson says
I am not a fan of the pea. But, my husband and daughter love them. This is a casserole they would enjoy.
Alissa Apel says
This looks so good! I like a lot of stuff with my pasta, so this is right up my eating zone.
Brianne says
Wow this looks so delicious! I am definitely trying this at home!
Louise Bishop says
Oh boy this made my tummy growl. Looks delicious!
Kat says
This is so yummy ! Any recommendations for making extra and freezing it ?
Liz says
I always freeze my leftovers in individual portions and heat the leftovers in the microwave, so you could make extra and do that. It’s one of my fave casseroles!
Crystal says
I know I’m going to love the peas too! They add a splash of color to the casserole.
Karrie Truman says
Wow, this has southern food written all over it. This is my kind of dish.
katrina gehman says
oh my that looks so good! i have to save this for latter!
Mardene Carr says
I don’t think I have ever used bowtie pasta. They look too cute to be eaten…LOL
Kiwi says
I love bowtie paste. I would have to replace the ham with chicken breast but over all this looks good.
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says
I love the bowtie pasta! This is the perfect meal for using up your leftover ham.
Amanda Love says
I love casseroles because you just toss everything in one tray and that’s it. It’s a great way to get rid of leftovers and it’s something that’s easy to make. I sure would love to keep this recipe!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Sounds like a great weeknight dinner! Adding this to my must make pasta recipes!
our family world says
This is like homemade macaroni and cheese but with the fun bow tie pasta and hearty ham. While this makes perfect use of leftover ham, there usually aren’t any leftovers when I serve this! My family gobbles it right up.
Emily says
My husband and I were just trying to think of a good and new pasta dish to make! I am sending this to him and we will try it later this week, thanks for the idea!
Felicia says
Now I need to go raid the kitchen! Serioulsy, this looks amazing.
Pam says
You know the way to my heart is a good casserole. My husband would really like this one since he loves ham.
Shannon Gurnee says
I’m always looking for recipe ideas for leftover ham. Our kids love pasta, so this would be a perfect option for our family!
Veronica Solomon says
What an amazing looking dish! I bet it tastes just as good
Milena says
I shouldn’t have looked at this while I’m hungry! This looks so good! We love bow tie pasta!
Ashley says
My kids like bowtie pasta because it is a fun shape. I will have to try this recipe out!
Saidah Washington says
I love these easy one dish recipes. I have three teens and they could totally handle this.
Alecia says
I love meals like this. Everything comes together quickly and you can’t screw it up even if you try haha! (I’m also guilty of enjoying the feeling of popping peas in my mouth)
Marcie W. says
I am all about delicious dinners ideas that are easy to whip together. This hearty casserole would be a hit around here for sure!
rachelle says
My daughter would LOVE this! She is home with me for spring break this week, I’ll have to make it for her!
Emily says
Do u know if you can freeze this? With milk? Or should I fully cook the meal then freeze?
Thank you
Liz says
I’ve never frozen it before baking, but I regularly freeze my cooked leftovers in individual microwave containers for reheating later.
Alicia Taylor says
I cannot believe how easy that recipe looks! But it’s pretty enough for company, too.
Divya says
Perfect weeknight meal! I love throwing things in a pan like and have them come together so nicely! I would want to make something like this, but maybe add some more veggies!
Heather Johnson says
You had me at pasta! This dish looks super easy and super delicious!
Neely Moldovan says
Oh we love bowtie pasta. Not a huge ham person but I bet I could sub something else!
Mandy Carter says
This sounds like the perfect weekday meal that the entire family will love. And I may even have all the stuff in the kitchen now.
Angie says
I had all Ingredients on ha d except I only had frozen peas AND carrots, mixed. That added nice color to the dish and didn’t hurt the flavor either.
Rebecca Bryant says
What a yummy pasta dish. I love my pasta and this looks so good and simple.
Annemarie LeBlanc says
This is a delicious meal suggestion! I love that it is easy to prepare and does not call for any fancy ingredient. Thanks for sharing the recipe. This will be included in our meal plan next week.
Reesa Lewandowski says
OH I have everything to make this! I think you just solved my dinner woes!
Jolina says
Bowtie pasta reminds me so much of my mom! She would use it in everything (I think it’s the pretty shape lol). Your casserole looks delicious. And no, pea popping not weird at all! 🙂
Mandee says
This looks delicious! I was just saying the other day that I needed new recipes to try! We will be giving this one a try later this week!
Dana says
Sounds delicious. We are having some bad weather here lately so a warm casserole like this will be perfect to serve for dinner. And it’s simple enough that my daughter can prepare it with me.
robin Rue says
Yum! My family loves meals like this and I love them because they are easy to make on busy weeknights!!
Francisca Ramos says
I also love peas too and never added it to pasta before. I’ve been looking for a new recipe for pasta. This looks easy to make. I would love to try this recipe for my family and looks delicious.
Vera Sweeney says
I can’t wait to make this! I love ham and peas together. Ham and pea soup is my jam, so I know I’m going to love this.
Bill Sweeney says
Peas and ham is the best combo in the history of food. Enjoying the pop is not weird at all. I love a dish with a healthy amount of peas in it for just that reason.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That sounds so good! This is exactly the kind of thing I love to make during the week. It’s easy to prepare, and you’ve got leftovers for the next day.