Ham of a Thousand Days

We have all seen that Norman Rockwell painting of the picture perfect Thanksgiving where Grandma carries in a perfectly roast turkey on a platter, garnished in an attractive way , presented to a table full of admiring diners. People aspire to create that scene for their own celebrations. Me, I worry. While it appears to be everything right with the world, in truth it is Birdzilla. Destined to take over your fridge and you menu for at least the next week. Longer if you are a small family like mine. The Easter Version of this portrait becomes Ham of a Thousand Days

Yes, this mahogany coated hunk of porcine love ( glazed with brown sugar, mustard and pineapple juice) makes for a yummy dinner. Then, however, there are leftovers. You make sandwiches, add it to omlettes, make ham salad, scalloped potatoes with ham and start to wonder if you are ever going to eat through this thing. Big families have advantages with having many mouths to devour the beast, but if you have only one child, this can become a serious commitment. Almost like a marriage, and it is a challenging spouse ! Soon you start encouraging the child to eat ham as a snack, add it to breakfast oatmeal, attempt to find some stray dogs to feed it to and other such shenanigans. That is until you realize that any ham is simply Prosciutto that forgot to dress up. Once you crack that nut, it opens up a world of possibilities , like this dish

Rotini con prosciutto,spinaci e pommadori

1 lb rotini, cooked to al dente and drained

4 cloves garlic, de-germed and chopped

1 handful fresh basil, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 container fresh baby spinach( lots- it cooks down to nothing)

1 generous fistful cooked ham, cut in julienne strips

1/3 cup heavy cream

olive oil

In a large pan, place olive oil and garlic, and cook till golden. Add tomatoes, crush slightly to increase moisture. Cook about 5 minutes and add the spinach. Cover and let cook till it wilts down- about 5 minutes. Add ham and cook till heated through. Add heavy cream and basil. Remove from heat , add pasta and mix. Serve.