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, kale and leeks 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!!