Easy Creamy Penne Pasta Salad with Ham and Blue Cheese
This creamy penne pasta salad is based on my YouTube video for summer pasta three ways, with a few adjustments since publication so the sauce is easier to reproduce at home. The idea stays the same: cold penne, ham, celery, fresh herbs, and a creamy blue cheese dressing, but the proportions are now clearer so the salad stays rich without becoming too salty or heavy.
A creamy pasta salad like this is a cold or room-temperature pasta dish tossed with a thick dressing instead of a hot sauce. This one is different from a Greek pasta salad or an Italian pesto pasta salad because it leans more toward a deli-style creamy salad, with ham, mustard, blue cheese, and crunchy celery. I make it when I want something that can sit on the table for a summer lunch, a barbecue, or a simple year-round meal with a green salad on the side.
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What Makes This Recipe Different
In the original video, this was the “passe-partout” version, the one that is creamy, easy to serve, and less tied to one specific country. I kept that spirit, but I tightened the sauce because blue cheese is not shy. If you add it by handfuls without tasting, it can take over everything.
I make it this way because the pasta needs a sauce that clings, not a sauce that turns into a thick paste once the salad cools. The mistake to avoid is making the dressing too salty before the ham and cheese go in. Blue cheese, ham, mustard, and pasta water all bring salt, so I prefer to season at the very end.
This version is also separated from my lighter cold pasta recipes. If you want something with olives and a Mediterranean profile, my easy Greek-style pasta salad with feta and olives is a better fit. If you want something more herb and oil based, the easy Asian pasta salad goes in a completely different direction. This one is the creamy, ham and cheese version.
Ingredients You Need
Use short pasta here. Penne works well because the tube catches little pockets of sauce, but rigatoni, fusilli, or shells can work too. What I look for here is a pasta shape that can hold the dressing without becoming mushy.
For the dressing, I use sour cream or crème fraîche as the base, then blue cheese for sharpness, Dijon mustard for bite, a tiny pinch of curry powder, olive oil, and lemon juice. The lemon juice is the quiet correction that makes the recipe work better. Without it, the salad can taste rich but flat.
The celery is important. It brings crunch and freshness. The ham gives the salad enough protein to feel like more than a side dish, but it still stays simple. Fresh parsley and chives finish the bowl without making it taste like a heavy cheese sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Salt it well, then add the penne and stir right away so the pieces do not stick together. Cook until al dente, following the package timing. In the video, the pasta cooks about 13 minutes, which works for many penne shapes, but check yours before draining.
You know it is ready when the penne is tender but still has a small bite in the center. Do not overcook it for pasta salad. Soft pasta breaks apart once you start mixing.
Drain the penne, then rinse it briefly under cold water. This is one of the few times I like rinsing pasta. For a hot dish, I usually keep the starch, like in homemade garlic butter pasta with parmesan, but for a cold creamy salad, a quick rinse stops the cooking and keeps the sauce from becoming gluey.
Drain the pasta very well. Shake the colander and let the pasta sit for a minute so extra water does not thin the dressing.
Make the creamy blue cheese dressing
In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, Dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, and black pepper. Mash some of the cheese into the cream with a fork, but leave a few small pieces. The dressing should look thick, creamy, and spoonable, not stiff.
At this point, taste before adding salt. If the cheese is very strong, you may not need any. If the dressing tastes heavy, add another small squeeze of lemon juice. If it tastes too sharp, add a spoon of sour cream.
The curry is there in the background. It should not taste like a curry pasta salad. It just adds a warm note behind the mustard and blue cheese.
Prepare the ham, celery, and herbs
Cut the ham into small strips or cubes. Slice the celery thinly so it gives crunch without big raw chunks. Chop the parsley and chives.
I prefer thin celery here because it spreads through the pasta more evenly. When the pieces are too large, they feel separate from the salad instead of part of the mixture.
If you like creamy salads with a similar comfort-food feeling, the creamy potato salad with ham uses the same kind of practical, filling logic, but with potatoes instead of pasta.
Mix the salad
Add the cooled penne to a large mixing bowl. Add the ham, celery, herbs, and most of the dressing. Toss gently with a spatula until every piece of pasta is coated.
Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then check the texture. Pasta absorbs sauce as it rests. If it looks dry, add the rest of the dressing or loosen it with a spoon of milk, sour cream, or lemon juice.
Fold in a little extra crumbled blue cheese at the end. This gives a few stronger bites without making the whole dressing too salty.
Serve
Serve the salad cool or at room temperature. It should look creamy but not wet, with the ham and celery visible between the penne. If it has been in the fridge for a few hours, stir it before serving and adjust with a small spoon of sour cream or olive oil.
This is a hearty pasta salad, so I usually serve it in smaller portions with something fresh beside it, like a crisp green salad or vegetables. For a more complete cold spread, it pairs well with romaine and endive green salad or even a bowl of creamy dill pickle potato salad if you are feeding a crowd.
Substitutions
If you do not like blue cheese, use feta for a saltier but less pungent version, or use aged cheddar for something milder. Goat cheese also works, but it makes the sauce tangier and softer.
For the creamy base, sour cream is easy to find in Canada and the United States. Crème fraîche gives a rounder, less sharp taste. Greek yogurt can work, but I would use half yogurt and half sour cream so the dressing does not taste too lean.
The ham can be replaced with cooked chicken, turkey, or even crispy bacon. If you want a chicken pasta direction instead, the site already has recipes like creamy lemon garlic chicken pasta and garlic butter chicken pasta, so I keep this one clearly focused on ham and blue cheese.
The celery can be replaced with cucumber, green onion, or finely chopped bell pepper, but celery gives the cleanest crunch. For a vegetarian version, skip the ham and add chickpeas, roasted vegetables, or extra celery and herbs. The result will be lighter, but still creamy.
FAQ
Can I make this pasta salad ahead of time?
Yes, but keep a little dressing aside if possible. Pasta absorbs moisture in the fridge, so the salad may look drier after a few hours. Stir it before serving and loosen it with a spoon of sour cream, milk, lemon juice, or olive oil.
Should I rinse the pasta?
For this cold creamy salad, yes. Rinsing stops the cooking and removes some surface starch. The important part is to drain the pasta very well after rinsing so the dressing does not become watery.
What kind of blue cheese should I use?
Roquefort gives a strong, salty, classic blue cheese taste. A milder blue cheese will make the salad softer and more approachable. Start with less, taste, then add more at the end if you want stronger flavor.
Can I use mayonnaise instead of sour cream?
Yes, but I would not use only mayonnaise. A mix of half mayonnaise and half sour cream gives better balance. All mayonnaise can make the salad feel heavier, especially with blue cheese and ham.
Is this served cold or warm?
It is best served cold or at room temperature. If it comes straight from the fridge, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce softens slightly.
What to Serve With It
This creamy penne salad works well beside grilled meats, sandwiches, or simple summer plates. Since it is rich, I like pairing it with something fresher or sharper.
For a picnic-style meal, serve it with crispy fried sole or spicy fried chicken burgers. For a more casual lunch, it can sit beside easy homemade corn dogs or double grilled cheese with three cheeses and ham.
If you want to stay in the pasta family, try it next to a small portion of fresh pasta with tomato sauce for a mixed pasta table. For something lighter, the creamy pasta salad with Kalamata olives gives another cold pasta option with a different flavor profile.
Easy Creamy Penne Pasta Salad with Ham and Blue Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne
- 4 qt water
- 2 tbsp kosher salt for the pasta water
- 1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
- 2 oz blue cheese crumbled
- 1 oz extra blue cheese for finishing
- 4 oz ham cut into strips or small cubes
- 1 celery stalk thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp yellow curry powder
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt only if needed after tasting
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and salt it well.
- Add the penne and cook until al dente, about 11 to 13 minutes depending on the pasta.
- Drain the pasta, rinse briefly under cold water, and drain very well.
- In a bowl, whisk the sour cream, 2 oz blue cheese, Dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder, and black pepper.
- Cut the ham, slice the celery, and chop the parsley and chives.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl with the ham, celery, herbs, and most of the dressing.
- Toss until the penne is evenly coated, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Adjust the texture with the remaining dressing or a small spoon of sour cream if needed.
- Fold in the extra blue cheese, taste, and add salt only if needed.
- Serve cool or at room temperature.
