This "cheesy" ham and pasta bake is my new favourite weeknight dinner. And once you've made it, it's going to be yours too! The recipe is AIP and Paleo compliant and I'm going to throw in some reintroduction modifications and Low FODMAP options for you, in case you want to switch it up a bit.
This is quite a gutsy meal, so a perfect accompaniment for me is just a simple fresh green salad with a dressing made of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Nothing fussy, nothing complicated but let me know what you prefer.
The cheesy ham and pasta bake is made in stages, but don't worry, each one is very simple and not overly time consuming. Everything overlaps one another so that everything is ready at the same time.
If you can get hold of Jovial cassava pasta it will really uplevel your meal time. It's AIP compliant, absolutely delicious and, best of all, means that pasta shapes and spaghetti are back on the menu! My preference penne for this bake but fusilli also works, you just need to choose one that keeps its shape when cooked and traps all that lovely sauce. Remember to undercook slightly so it doesn't end up "pappy" once it's been baked.
Want to make this "cheesy" ham and pasta bake ahead?
You could absolutely do this. Make the whole thing as though you were about to bake it but keep to one side until completely cooled. Cover and refrigerate. Remember the second cooking time will take longer because it is being heated from cold, as opposed to room temperature.
You could also make up the white sauce in advance and store in the fridge until needed. If you choose to do this, cut out a small circle of parchment paper, a little larger than the diameter of the container the sauce will be stored in. Run it under the cold tap and then scrunch it up. Open the parchment and place over the top of the sauce. This will stop it from forming a skin. You would typically do this with plastic wrap but I don't want to put plastic on my food and I'm guessing you don't either!
Is it freezer friendly?
Absolutely it is. Cover it well and freeze until needed. Just make sure the dish you store it in is oven proof, or else transfer the mixture to your baking dish once defrosted.
Does it taste very coconut-ty?
It actually doesn't. I deliberately mixed the coconut milk with water and broth so it's neither coconut-ty in flavour nor overly rich and heavy. You don't need to use broth, but it will add some extra healing nutrients.
Can I use any other meats instead of ham?
Yes, definitely. You could substitute shredded chicken or turkey, or even 3 cans of tuna instead. Taste the mixture before baking because it will probably need more nutritional yeast and/or sea salt.
Is this cheesy ham and pasta bake low FODMAP?
The recipe is not written to be low FODMAP but here's how you can adapt it for one sensible serving -
- Be sure to make a broth without onions and garlic
- Get a large leek and use the green part only
- Nutritional yeast is fine at 15g (1 tbsp) per serving so you're good
- Coconut milk is fine at 1/2 cup serving so you're good
- Cassava flour is fine at 15g (1 tbsp) so the sauce is okay but you will need to use something other than the pasta. Consider using something like rutabaga or zucchini noodles instead.
If you give this a try please leave me a comment to let me know how much you love it. And don't forget to tag me on Instagram @healing_family_eats so I can see, and share your creations.
And if you're into bakes, easy one pot recipes and reintroductions, you'll love my upcoming book, The Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction Cookbook.
"Cheesy" Ham and Pasta Bake
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes
Serves 6
Print the recipe here!
1 small bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale, chopped
1 box 1 packet Jovial cassava penne pasta
5 tablespoons fat, such as bacon grease, lard (or ghee for a Stage 1 Reintroduction)
5 tablespoons cassava flour
1 can coconut milk (I like Aroy-D Organic)
1 cup water
1 cup chicken bone broth (or more water)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast, + 1 tsp for the topping (or a cheese such as pecorino for a Stage 3 reintroduction)
generous pinch sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small leek, thinly sliced
12 oz (340g) AIP compliant ham, cut into 1/4 inch slices and cubed
Fill a large bowl with cold water and add some ice cubes.
Boil a large pan of water. Blanch the kale for 45 seconds and, using a slotted spoon, remove and place into the ice bath
Make a roux. Mix the liquids together in a jug. Heat the fat in a medium pan and add the cassava flour. Stir for a minute on a low-medium heat to cook out the flour taste. Pour in 1/3 of the liquid, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the another 1/3 and then the remainder, stirring all the time. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup of the nutritional yeast. Add sea salt to taste and set aside.
Meanwhile cook the penne in the same water used for the kale for 2 minutes less than the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain.
Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and add the leeks. Sauté on a low heat for around 5 minutes until softened.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put the ham, leeks and penne into a large bowl. Squeeze kale to remove excess water and add to the mixture. Pour over the white sauce and mix well. Spoon the mixture into an 11 x 8 inch or equivalent (3 pint capacity) oven-proof baking dish. Sprinkle the extra nutritional yeast over the top.
Bake for 55-60 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on the top. Finish under the broiler for a bit more colour if you like and serve.
Oh my word, this looks amazing! I haven't even tried it yet and I know I'm going to love it. Will be sure to post a review when a try it.
Quick question - where do you get your AIP compliant ham? Unfortunately the one on spud.ca isn't compliant due to potato starch and spices.
If you're in Vancouver I always get a whole ham from Oyama, then keep slices in the freezer. You could also contact Pasture to Plate, Sumas Mountain Farms or Home on the Range Organics and see whether they can supply you.
Thanks for replying Kate! I order from Sumas Mountain Farms but looks like they're out of ham right now. I'm in the suburbs so it's a good excuse for a trip into Vancouver 🙂
I think so . In the meantime, try it with chicken and add a little extra sea salt/nutritional yeast to compensate.
I made this tonight and it was even better than I thought it would be! It's a game changer! I used chicken as you suggested but I also added 4 slices of crispy bacon. Delicious!
So happy it worked so well. I'm going to try that one myself!
Ordered the pasta, planning to make this next week for my last week of whole30!
Woohoo, I can't wait for you to make it. Let me know how you get on!
This looks amazing, and plan to give it a go; however I have read that Jovial pasta/ cassava is higher in carbs and due to me being prediabetic I wonder if I should be cautious about eating to much cassava pasta, and finally would like your thoughts on miracle noodles: https://miraclenoodle.com/.
Thanks for your awesome recipes.
Hi Tabitha, I hope you enjoy the bake, it's definitely my latest foodie crush.
I wouldn't be concerned about the cassava pasta in this recipe since it doesn't contain that much per serving. If you do wish to make it lower carb you could always substitute with something like spiralized rutabaga, or even zucchini. And of course, always in moderation.
As for the miracle noodles, here's an interesting article from Dr Sarah Ballantyne about where miracle noodles feature on a paleo diet. She says they are more like a fiber supplement than the nutritious food which should be aiming for. And of cassava, she says it is a good source of fiber, as well as being a "rich source of nutrients compared to many other starches: vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and folate are some of the highlights"!
Something else I'll point out is that the miracle noodles you linked to contain citric acid, which is very often derived from corn. I'm not sure whether it's true in this product but something to consider.
Personally I would choose cassava pasta over the miracle noodles. I hope that's helpful.
I can’t use coconut milk, is there a workaround for it? Looks so delicious! Thank you
If you're on the elimination phase you could make up some tigernut milk and use that. If you've made some Stage 2 reintroductions you could use a nut milk such as almond. I hope one of those work for you, it's a delicious meal!
Tried this last night and it was really good, perfect for a cold winter's night. I had to make a couple substitutions (Tapioca starch for Cassava flour), chard for kale but turned out really tasty. Luckily I had watched your video on 3 sauces on the AIP summit so I was familiar with making a roux with a slurry. I think the next time I make it I'll add some bacon for smokiness, and maybe throw in some mushrooms too. Thanks, your recipes are great!
Glad you made a version that worked for you. Your additions sound yummy!
This was amazing! I think I'll make it with spaghetti squash instead next time. The sauce could go with so many things!! Thank you for this recipe!
It's very adaptable. Thanks for trying it, enjoy playing about with the recipe.
The epitome of AiP comfort food! It’s soooo good, I can almost cry right now! It tastes like food we’re not suppose to have
I boiled the pasta for 8 mins since it was still going to cook in the oven (box says boil for 13mins) I made some changes though-1. I used avocado oil instead of bacon grease Bc I didn’t have any. 2. I used 1/2 onion Bc I didn’t have a leek. 3. I used 5 handfuls of spinach Bc I didn’t have kale.
& I upped the temp to 375 & only baked it for 30mins. It’s absolute AiP comfort food just like the author said it would be I’m in love! Thank you sooooo much!
So pleased you loved it. It's made me pretty happy too!!
Gosh, this looks like comfort food! I recently figured out that cassava flour and I don't get along. Do you suppose coconut or some other flour could be used? I haven't yet figured out a good substitute for it.
You could try plantain flour for the roux. Instead of cassava pasta you could use spiralized rutabaga.
This is very helpful - thank you!
Are you at all worried about pork (for parasites)? Ever since I’ve dealt with that issue I’m afraid to eat pork. Naturopath advised against eating it too, not to mention where does one even find ok pork?
I don't eat too much pork but when I do I make sure it's cooked thoroughly. That should be enough to kill any parasites in the flesh. I'm not sure that buying better quality pork will guarantee parasite-free, pigs are pretty dirty animals no matter how they are bred and what they're fed.
I "blocked" to nutritional yeast at the integrative med doc. Also severe gluten allergy and need only grass fed cheeses or goat or sheep. What is the least expensive substitute.
I like to use pecorino, which is made with sheep's milk. I can't speak for cost I'm afraid as I don't know where you live. I hope you enjoy!
Hi I’ve tried this and it was great - though my cassava pasta went pretty mushy. Is there a no boil method for this dish, where the pasta could cook in the oven? I’ve seen other no boil recipes for pasta bakes.
I find that undercooking the pasta works for me. I haven't used a no boil method but if you do, I'd love to hear how it went. Glad you liked the taste.
This looks amazing! I always crave cheese and pasta during the elimination phase, and this looks like it will help curb those cravings.
One question, I buy A-roy coconut milk by the liter. Can you specify how many ounces a 'can' is?
A can is 400ml. If you're buying Aroy-D be sure to buy the organic can, because the non-organic versions now contain Polysorbate 60, which is an emulsifier and not compliant.
Ok great! Thank you. Yes, I knew about the chemicals which is why I generally don't buy canned coconut milk. Fats can also leach BPA from can linings so I try to avoid canned food as much as possible 🙂
Sorry for my silly question. However, at which point do you place the cooked pasta in the baking dish?
Thanks for the pointing out my mistake for skipping that part. I've amended the instructions now. You add the pasta along with the ham, leeks and kale.
The instructions refer to the liquid for the roux. Is this liquid intended to be the combination of coconut milk, 1 cup water, and 1 cup broth? It’s not clear to me. Thank you!
Yes correct. Just put those liquids into a jug and follow the instructions to make the sauce.