This slow cooker ham pasta is the kind of low-effort, high-comfort dinner that earns a permanent spot in a busy weeknight rotation. Inspired by simple Amish-style pantry cooking, it leans on a ham hock, celery salt, pasta, and water to build a surprisingly savory, cozy meal with hardly any prep. It is exactly the sort of recipe that makes sense on a long workday when dinner needs to take care of itself and you still want something warm, filling, and homemade at the end of the day.
Serve this hearty pasta with buttered green beans, a crisp lettuce salad, or simple roasted carrots to balance the richness of the ham. If you want to stretch the meal a little further, warm dinner rolls or thick slices of crusty bread are perfect for soaking up the salty broth that forms in the slow cooker, and iced tea or apple cider both pair nicely with the homey flavors.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Amish Celery Salt Ham Pasta
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 smoked ham hock
1 teaspoon celery salt
8 cups water
12 ounces egg noodles
Directions
1. Place the ham hock in the slow cooker. Dust the celery salt evenly over the top, then pour in the water.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the ham is very tender and the meat easily pulls away from the bone.
3. Remove the ham hock to a plate. Pull the meat from the bone, discard the bone and any excess fat, and shred or chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
4. Return the ham to the slow cooker. Stir in the egg noodles, cover, and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Stir once or twice if needed to keep the noodles from clumping.
5. Taste and adjust with a little more celery salt if needed, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Variations & Tips
Make it richer: For a slightly fuller broth, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at the end. It gives the noodles a silkier finish without changing the simple character of the dish.
Add vegetables: If you want a more complete one-pot meal, add sliced celery, onion, or carrots during the first hour of cooking. They fit naturally with the celery salt and ham and make the broth feel even more homemade.
Choose the right pasta: Egg noodles are the easiest fit here because they cook quickly and match the soft texture of the ham, but broken fettuccine or wide noodles can also work. Keep an eye on the liquid level since different pasta shapes absorb broth differently.
Salt carefully: Ham hocks can vary a lot in saltiness, so it helps to wait until the very end before adding extra seasoning. The celery salt should support the ham flavor, not overpower it.
Meal prep tip: If you know you will be short on time later, cook the ham hock a day ahead, shred the meat, and refrigerate it with the broth. The next day, reheat everything in the slow cooker and add the noodles shortly before serving.