Cleaning out the freezer I found a bag of sliced ham.  Once it thawed I realized it was some leftover Honey Baked Ham from the holidays, circa 2011.  I sniffed it, Eddie sniffed it, and, figuring it had been preserved with all that brown sugar (do they really use brown sugar?) it seemed fine enough to cook with.  Trying to make the teen happy I found a pasta recipe.  And, to keep me happy, the cheese was only to be added in at the end, so this could still be a dairy-free meal.  Although, I think adding heavy cream, butter or cheese would have helped this meal for many, it was a little too bland for us.  My edits are in italics – as usual – below:

• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta (I used a 16 oz bag of bowties.)
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced (Chopped, no one likes strings of onion unless everything in the dish is shaped that way, in my Chef 101 opinion.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms (I used 18 oz, again to make the mushroom-loving teen happy.)
• 1 1/2 cups ham pieces (The honeybaked ham added some salt and sugar, which the dish needed.)
• Chopped parsley (Used peas instead, not as topping but added in with the ham to warm only.)
• Grated Pecorino cheese (Not buying any more cheeses, used the grated Parmesan we all have on hand.)

Directions

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. (I NEVER cook pasta first and let it sit, getting gluey, while I make the rest of the meal.  Once the water is boiling I add the pasta at the same time I begin cooking the onions.)  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine sliced large yellow onion with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add ham pieces (and peas); cook until warm. Toss with pasta, adding enough pasta water (Husband wanted to add heavy cream as this point, it was rather a thin sauce) to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with chopped parsley and grated pecorino cheese.

http://www.marthastewart.com/316601/pasta-with-ham-and-mushrooms