World Recipes: Elbow Pasta with Canned Ham

15 Mar World Recipes: Elbow Pasta with Canned Ham

Elbow pasta with canned ham is a dish inspired by Puerto Rican home cooking. It combines elbow macaroni with a rich, tasty sauce made from canned ham, tomatoes, sofrito and seasonings that highlight Caribbean flavours. For African kitchens, this recipe works especially well because it is simple, affordable and comforting, using ingredients that are easy to find in many local markets.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of elbow macaroni (about 1 lb)
• 1 can of luncheon meat (canned ham)
• ½ jar of tomato-based pasta sauce
• ¼ cup honey mustard barbecue sauce
• 1 packet of seasoned spice mix
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon sofrito
• ½ teaspoon garlic
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

• In a large pot, fill halfway with water, add salt and a little oil, and bring to a boil.
• Add the elbow pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes or according to package instructions.
• In another pot, heat a little oil and gently fry the garlic with the sofrito until fragrant.
• Add the tomato sauce, the spice mix, the pasta sauce and the honey mustard barbecue sauce. Stir well to combine all the flavours.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce together with the chopped canned ham.
• Mix gently until everything is well combined and heated through.

Serve hot as a hearty, budget-friendly meal—perfect for African families looking for quick, flavourful dishes with an international twist.