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Cheese Tortellini with Ham and Peas is an easy recipe with leftover ham and pasta in a delicious Parmesan cream sauce. An easy weeknight meal the whole family will love that takes minutes to make!

cheese tortellini with ham and peas on wooden spoon.

This easy tortellini recipe is a one-pot meal that literally takes minutes to make. With only a handful of ingredients and one skillet, this easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Even my pickiest kids love it.

Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!

This is the kind of meal I like to make when I don’t feel like cooking, but I don’t want to go out. It honestly tastes better than what you get at most restaurants!

This dish is also a great way to use up leftover ham from Christmas dinner or Easter dinner. But, you can just as easily use thicker deli ham or a ham steak. It’s one of my son’s favorite dinners, so I make this often throughout the year. I even included it in my cookbook!

Best of all, there’s only one pot to clean!

fresh tortellini, heavy cream, diced ha, butter, Parmesan cheese and seasonings

What You Need

You only need a few simple ingredients to make ham tortellini. Full amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below.

Ham — 2 cups leftover cooked ham, diced or thickly sliced
Fresh Tortellini — I love this because it cooks quickly. Look for cheese-filled tortellini in the refrigerated section. I buy mine at Costco. You can use dry or frozen, but it will take a little longer to cook.
Butter
Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
Seasonings — garlic powder, nutmeg and black pepper
Frozen peas — thawed. optional, but very easy to add and makes it a complete meal

How to Make Tortellini with Ham and Peas

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Then, stir in the heavy cream. This is just basically a simple Alfredo sauce — very easy.

heat butter and heavy cream in skillet and stir with wooden spoon

Next, stir in the seasoning mixture. When the cream starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, add the tortellini. You may want to add a few pieces at a time so it doesn’t splash — just saying. Stir the pasta so it’s covered with the creamy sauce.

stir tortellini in cream sauce with wooden spoon

Cook the pasta uncovered until it is nice and tender. This takes about 2-3 minutes, depending on the brand. Use the package instructions as a guide. Next, stir in the Parmesan cheese until it melts. Then, add the ham and peas.

Continue cooking the tortellini ham mixture until the ham is heated through and the peas are done. This only takes 1-2 minutes.

I like to garnish the pasta with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese. And that’s all there is to this easy meal. Your dinner tonight is done, and it’s time to dig into that cheesy goodness!

tortellini pasta with ham and peas in skillet

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover tortellini for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat individual portions in your microwave or on the stove top.

Variations

The peas are optional. You can leave them out or use a different veggie, like broccoli. Tortellini with spinach is a great combo!

If you have an electric pressure cooker, try my Instant Pot Ham and cheese Tortellini recipe.

For a thinner sauce, use half and half or milk. You may have to add more Parmesan cheese to thicken it. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with additional cream, milk or chicken broth.

Since this is basically tortellini Alfredo, you can use a jar of Alfredo sauce instead of making your own. Instead of Parm, try Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese or Colby Jack.

More Recipes with Leftover Ham

Ham mac and cheese is another favorite here. If you don’t want pasta, try my leftover ham casserole or leftover ham sandwich recipe.

tortellini with ham and peas in creamy Parmesan cheese sauce on wooden spoon

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5 from 5 votes

Cheese Tortellini with Ham and Peas

By: Dee

Cheese Tortellini with Ham and Peas is an easy recipe with leftover ham and pasta in a delicious Parmesan cream sauce. An easy weeknight meal the whole family will love that takes minutes to make!

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Ingredients

▢ 4 tablespoons butter
▢ 1 ½ cups heavy cream
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
▢ 24 oz cheese tortellini Kirklands fresh tortellini
▢ 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 2 cups cooked ham diced
▢ 1 cup frozen peas thawed

Instructions

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat
Stir in heavy cream, and heat until small bubbles appear along the sides of the pan
Stir in garlic powder, black pepper and nutmeg
Add the tortellini, and stir so that it is covered with sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender
Stir in the cheese
Stir in the ham and thawed peas, and cook on low heat until heated through, bout 1-2 minutes
Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired

Video

Notes

I used Kirkland’s 5 cheese tortellini from Costco, but any fresh tortellini will work. You can use dried or frozen tortellini, but the cooking times will change.

If sauce is too thick, add more cream or thin sauce with milk, half and half or chicken broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 643kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 1110mg, Potassium: 174mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1074IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 302mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

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