Nessa's Baked Ham Carbonara

Once Christmas night has come to a close I always feel like the festivities for this year are truly over. I won't take the Christmas tree down just yet, but it will making an exit from the building pretty soon. As a family we really enjoyed the Christmas celebrations, as the children are all getting a little older and can partake much easier in the preparations. As part of the Christmas build-up, last week the boys and I sat down and made a list of foods and dishes that we would like to enjoy over the few days of Christmas. They were each allocated with a few dishes to make on their own {with just a little help from Mammy!}. This made yesterday's meal extra special as they were all very proud to bring their contribution to the Christmas feast.
Unfortunately we were missing a very important member of our family at Christmas dinner. My Dad had been admitted to hospital the day before Christmas Eve but thankfully he's already feeling somewhat improved. A change from our normal Christmas day activities brought us on a visit to the hospital. It lifted Dad's spirits but also was a real eye-opener to the children as they saw just how many were spending their Christmas unwell in hospital.

Baked Ham Carbonara

I am planning on making my Christmas Creamy Leftover Pie for today's dinner. My Baked Ham & Brie toastie will also be enjoyed for lunch in the next few days. Here is another dish that I like to make with some leftover ham is a carbonara. I generally use bacon in this recipe but leftover baked ham also makes a perfect alternative. The carbonara can be rustled up in minutes making this a super speedy supper on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients
25g(1oz) butter
1 onion, diced
250g(9oz) cooked ham, cubed
3 eggs, preferably free range organic.
200mls (7floz) Avonmore cream
50g(2oz) grated parmesan(plus extra for serving)
freshly ground black pepper
500g(18oz) cooked pasta

Method
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion. Saute for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the onions are soft but not coloured. Stir in the cooked ham.
2. In a jug combine the eggs, cream and parmesan. Turn the heat to low under the saucepan and add in the mix from the jug.
3. Gently stir, making sure not to scramble the eggs, for 2 minutes until the sauce is heated through.
4. Add the hot cooked pasta to the saucepan and combine well, ensuring all the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce.
5. Divide into bowls and grate over a little extra parmesan and a twist of black pepper before serving.