Spring Clean Your Kitchen with these Budget-Friendly Parma Ham Recipes

Summer is on the way which means it's time to dig into the dusty depths of your kitchen cupboard for some Spring cleaning. Although your meal prospects may then seem bleak ahead of your next food shop, Prosciutto di Parma has partnered with Tastehead, experts in food product development, to bring you two easy and delicious recipes to keep you going until then.  

This Parma Ham pasta bake, and the Parma Ham, Potato and Rosemary soup are not only delicious, but also budget-friendly, as they can be made using kitchen staples for under £10.

As the aromatic flavours of fennel, rosemary and potato are perfectly paired with the umami taste of Parma Ham, there's no better motivation to start Spring cleaning with these recipes!

Parma Ham and Fennel Pasta Bake

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the bake: 

• 80g Unsalted butter
• 2 Fennel (approx. 700g), trimmed and diced
• 2 tsp Fennel seeds
• 45g Plain flour
• 100ml Dry white wine
• 450ml Whole milk
• 250g Dry egg tagliatelle, lightly broken.
• 80g Parma Ham, thinly sliced
• 40g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

To garnish:

• Salt & Pepper
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• Nutmeg
• Fennel fronds

METHOD:

1. Melt 35g of butter in a pan, add 4 tbsp of water, the diced fennel, the fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Braise with the lid on for approximately 10 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, make the white sauce by melting 45g of butter and adding the flour. Mix together to form a roux and cook on a low heat for 3 mins, stirring continuously.
3. Add the wine and work into the roux, ensuring it stays smooth.
4. Add the milk in five separate stages, each time stirring into the roux and ensuring there are no lumps before adding more.
5. Once all the milk is added, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the fennel and continue cooking over a low heat.
6. Cook the pasta in salted water for half the time recommended on the packet. Drain, reserving a mug of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the white sauce and fennel mix.
7. Tear the slices of Parma Ham into a few strips and fold into the mix.
8. Add approximately 160g of pasta water to loosen.
9. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano.
10. Bake at 200˚c for approximately 15 minutes until it is golden brown on top. Garnish with finely-chopped fennel fronds.
11. Serve alongside a green salad.

Parma Ham, Potato and Rosemary Soup

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

• 50g Unsalted butter
• 170g Onion, diced
• 500g Floury potatoes (eg. Maris Piper, King Edward), diced in 2cm pieces
• 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
• Salt & Pepper
• 450g Chicken stock, plus extra to loosen the soup (1 oxo cube per 500g)
• 100g Whole milk
• 6 Parma Ham slices, torn
• Single cream, to garnish

METHOD:

1. Melt butter over medium heat and then reduce the heat before adding the onion, potato and rosemary. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Cover with a lid or tin foil, then let the vegetables steam for 12 minutes until the potato is soft. Shake the pan every few minutes to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom.
3. Add the stock and milk, ensuring that the potatoes are covered in liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes crumble apart.
4. Purée the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add more stock.
5. Divide into bowls, garnishing with the Parma Ham, chopped Rosemary and a drizzle of fresh cream. Serve with crusty bread and butter.

-END-

About Parma Ham

Parma Ham is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product and is 100% natural. The drying process that Parma Ham goes through creates a ham that is very low in fat content, with many mineral salts, vitamins, antioxidants and easily digestible proteins. This means that Parma Ham is truly a food for everyone.

Prosciutto di Parma is produced in the hills surrounding the Italian town of Parma.

The unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.  Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five-pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded onto the ham's skin. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.

For more information, please visit www.prosciuttodiparma.com.

Instagram: @parmahamuk         

Twitter: @ParmaHamUK

About Tastehead

Tastehead are experts in food innovation that tastes outstanding, managing development projects from concept through to launch and supporting businesses to reach new consumers and grow brand equity and profitability.

Credit:

Photography by Steve Lee Studios

Recipes by Micah Carr-Hill and Brandt Maybury, Co-Founders of Tastehead

Editor's Note:

If you would like to receive more information about Prosciutto di Parma, please contact Georgie Hackett at +44 (0)20 7389 9404 or email g.hackett@brand-dialogue.co.uk