Country Ham Fettuccine Alfredo!

There used to be a little restaurant in a neighboring county that had two specialties that I absolutely loved...their angel biscuits and country ham fettuccine.  I have never seen it on any other restaurant's menu and since I really loved it, I had to recreate it at home.  This version comes pretty close to theirs and it's a quick meal to put together but is impressive to anyone who doesn't watch how easy it is.

If you do not have access to country ham in your area, since it is sold in stores fairly regionally, you can substitute a good smoked ham, tasso, or even just some leftover baked ham would work.   The country ham does give the dish a really rich flavor though so if you can get it, try it.   Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

3 cups country ham, chopped

8 oz fettuccine pasta

1 jar Bertolli Alfredo sauce (I prefer Bertolli, but you can use your favorite)

1  8oz. block of cream cheese, softened

1 cup half and half

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Melt the butter in a deep skillet or dutch oven.  Wash the country ham off to remove the excess salt.  Chop it into bite size pieces, add it to the butter and saute it until lightly browned.  Country ham is very salty and usually has a little gritty saltiness on it so it's best to rinse it off.

Remove the ham from the pan and leave the drippings.  There won't be many drippings from the ham because you only use the lean.  Add the Alfredo sauce, the cream cheese, half and half, black pepper, and garlic powder to the pan, turned on low heat. Whisk to blend until the cream cheese has melted and blended.  Because of the salt content of the ham and the salted water you cook the pasta in, you won't need to add salt to the sauce.   I use a jar of Bertolli Alfredo sauce as the base of this sauce, because it's really good.  I have made Alfredo completely from scratch and to be honest Bertolli tastes just as good with a little help.  It is the only brand I use, but you might prefer another brand. 








 Whisk in the 1 cup of Parmesan cheese until the Alfredo sauce is smooth.

Add the cooked country ham back into the sauce.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, drain well and then add directly to the Alfredo sauce.

Gently toss the pasta with the sauce.  That's it!  Place in your serving bowls and garnish!  You can make this in less than 30 minutes...start to finish!  Add a salad or vegetable and bread and you have dinner!

I garnished with sliced green onions and fresh parsley, chives would also be great.

Country Ham Fettuccine Alfredo!