Four Cheese Pasta with Peas and Ham!

Before I get into the recipe for today I thought I would let you all in on a little secret of mine. I am a cookbook/magazine JUNKIE! There I said it and I feel a little better now that  its out in the open! LOL 

But seriously guys when I say I have a problem I am not joking around. I have cookbooks everywhere (one of the reasons I was trying to talk my hubby into getting me an ipad for xmas was so that I didn't have to have cookbooks everywhere because I could get digital ones!! ) and about a million and one magazine subscriptions. I can't help it I am a sucker for a good cookbook and magazine! 

Anyway, todays recipe is one we actually had last week for dinner and I got it out of I believe December's Food Network Magazine. I love FN Magazine but I rarely ever make any of the recipes cause they usually contain ingredients that the guy with the killer dimples (my hubby!) doesn't like. If it was up to Danny we would have spaghetti every night and that would be ok with him. Me I need variety I can't eat the same thing ALL the time! 

So here you go:

 Four Cheese Pasta with Peas & Ham

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces penne
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1 scant cup)
• 3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 3 ounces fontina cheese, grated (1 scant cup)
• 3 ounces deli ham, in 1 piece, diced
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 
  

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 8 minutes, adding the peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg white, evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Drain the pasta and peas; wipe the pot dry and return the pasta and peas to the pot. Add the butter and stir to coat. Add the cheddar, mozzarella, fontina and the egg mixture. Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes, adding the ham halfway through cooking (don't let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan.

**This dish was very tasty and we will probably have it again sometime in the future but next time I think I will boil the pasta a little longer. Your not supposed to cook it all the way because it continues to cook in the pan with the cheese and everything else but that did NOT happen with ours. So while the flavoring was good, it would have helped if the noodles were cooked all the way!

Well that's all I got for today! TGIF ya'll and HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY to ME!! Can't wait to go out tonight with all our friends!!

Have a GREAT weekend!
Jen
XoxoX