Ham and Broccoli Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing
This is one of the most delicious ham pasta salad recipes you will ever try. It comes together with hunks of diced ham, crisp broccoli, and a tangy mustard-Greek yogurt dressing. It is a heartier version of the summer staple that feels right at home all year long.
What’s your favorite pasta salad combo? Have you ever tried any ham pasta salad recipes? If not, let me encourage you. They’re very tasty, a bit more substantial, but with all the same comforting picnic vibes.
I feel the ham, broccoli, and greens expands the pasta salad season, taking it beyond just summer. Just like my honey-mustard snack mix and cajun shrimp deviled eggs, this makes a great potluck contribution, or tailgating side—you can prep it ahead and it’s very travel friendly!
This creamy ham pasta salad is also the perfect side dish for a weeknight dinner with everything from grilled pork burgers to fried chicken and the cold pasta salad leftovers make an awesome lunch. It is right up there with one of my favorite pasta salads.
Why You’ll Love This Ham Pasta Salad Recipe:
- Like a summer pasta salad but with rich chunks of ham, broccoli, and creamy dressing
- A great side dish for bbq’s, tailgating, or holiday potluck
- Can use different veggies depending on your tastes
- Easy 6-ingredient dressing
- Travels well and serves a crowd
- Awesome way to use up leftover ham
Start With the Pasta and Broccoli
The pasta makes or breaks a good pasta salad. You do not want to overcook it. You don’t even really want to cook it “al dente”. Cook until it is still a little stiff when you drain it, like a minute or two before the package directions say it takes. That way it will soak up all the dressing, without becoming soggy or falling apart.
The lovely thing about ham pasta salad recipes, is the pasta and broccoli cook together in the same pot, meaning less clean-up and faster cooking.
Start the pasta and during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets. Cook together until they still have bite, then drain. Rinse both in cold water to stop the cooking then let drain again.
Tell Me About The Homemade Dressing
Instead of your typical vinaigrette-style Italian dressing, this recipe has a creamy mixture of whole grain mustard, Greek yogurt, sour cream, and chopped fresh rosemary. YUM!
This dressing provides all the right notes to uplift the pasta salad while simultaneously bringing it all together and adding a robust base for the pasta salad to stand on.
You can make the dressing (either by whisking together in a medium bowl or shaking up in a mason jar) up to 5 days in advance. After you mix it up, taste and make sure it is balanced. You may need to add a little bit more salt or a splash more vinegar.
Ingredients For The Pasta Salad
A great balance of wholesome veggies, ham, pasta, and flavorful dressing.
- Fusilli pasta. Elbow macaroni is a common pasta choice for pasta salad but I love how the dressing gets caught in the spiral noodles. Rotini is very similar and another good choice, other options could be small shells.
- Broccoli. Lots of fresh ingredients is what makes this pasta salad so yummy. I recommend using fresh, not frozen broccoli.
- Ham. Thick-cut ham steak is best for getting nice, diced ham pieces.
- Bell peppers. Add sweetness, crunch, and color. Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers.
- Red onion. Thinly sliced red onion or scallions also work.
- Baby spinach. This will seem like a lot of spinach at first but it will wilt and blend in as you stir in the dressing.
- Cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese adds flavor, chewy texture, and richness.
- Plain greek yogurt. Use full-fat Greek yogurt for best flavor.
- Sour cream. Gives that rich, tangy mouthfeel.
- Champagne vinegar. Or white wine vinegar or fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- Whole grain mustard. I love the pop of the mustard seeds like in the mustard sauce that goes with this roast pork shoulder.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. To make everything shine.
- Fresh rosemary. Other fresh herbs could be thyme, tarragon, dill, or oregano.
How To Make It
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook about 7-8 minutes.
Add broccoli florets and cook about 1-2 minutes more. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Drain again.
Place in a large bowl, add ham, cheddar, bell pepper, onion, and spinach and stir to combine.
In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, salt, rosemary, and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until well coated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving then serve cold or room temperature.
FAQ’s
How long does this pasta salad last in the refrigerator? Keep it covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a stir before serving, the dressing tends to settle at the bottom.
Can I use dried rosemary instead of fresh? Sure! I would use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, not ground rosemary.
What are some other vegetables I can add to this salad? Lots of veggies would be great here. Things like cauliflower, green beans, or peas I would add at the same time as the broccoli (blanching with the pasta). Or diced zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sugar snap peas, black olives, or diced fennel could be added raw.
More Great Potluck Recipes:
- Healthier Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole
- The Best Cocoa Cookies
- Pear Cranberry Crisp
- Roasted Beet Salad with Cracked Green Olives
- Brown Butter Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Wild Rice Salad with Kale & Chile-Roasted Cashews
Ham and Broccoli Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 4 cups chopped broccoli florets, (about 12 ounces) cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces diced ham
- 1 cup diced sharp cheddar cheese (about 5 ounces)
- 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, medium diced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups baby spinach, about 3 ounces
- 1 1/4 cups full-fat plain greek yogurt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pound of pasta and cook about 7-8 minutes. Add the 4 cups broccoli florets and cook about 1-2 minutes more or until broccoli is cooked but still retains bite. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Shake in the colander to get the excess water off.
- Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl, add the 8 ounces diced ham, the 1 cup diced cheddar, the diced bell pepper, the sliced red onion, and the 4 cups baby spinach and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl combine the 1 1/4 cups yogurt, the 1 cup sour cream, the 3 tablespoons vinegar, the 2 tablespoons mustard, the 4 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until well coated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Can I substitute the ham with another meat or make it vegetarian? Sure, you can swap the ham for cooked chicken, turkey, or salami. For a vegetarian version, try adding chickpeas, grilled tofu, or extra vegetables.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It can easily be gluten free by swapping the pasta for gluten-free pasta.
- How can I make this spicy? Add 1/2 teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes to the dressing.
- What kind of yogurt should I use? I prefer a full-fat (whole milk) plain Greek yogurt because it has a richer, fuller flavor but a low-fat plain Greek yogurt will also work, it will just be lighter in flavor and not as creamy.
