Directions
Preparation:25min  ›  Cook:10min  ›  Ready in:35min 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Trim off and discard any excess fat and rind from the ham, then cut the meat into small cubes.
2. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Put into a heavy, medium-sized saucepan with the cream, nutmeg and some black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the cream starts to thicken.
3. Add the pasta and some salt to the saucepan of boiling water, then bring back to the boil and cook gently, uncovered, for 3–5 minutes, until al dente.
4. Meanwhile, crumble the cheese into small pieces and finely chop the parsley.
5. When the cream has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese and stir until it melts.
6. Add the ham to the sauce, then return the pan to the heat and warm through gently. Stir in the chopped parsley and put the sauce aside to keep warm.
7. Drain the pasta, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Pour over the sauce, toss gently and serve.

Using dried pasta

If you're using dried pasta from a box adjust the cooking time accordingly.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:

good source of vitamins A, B group and E.

EASY DOES IT!

Grating fresh nutmeg straight into a dish gives the food far more flavour than using the ready-ground variety.