Puschel’s Ham Pasta with Egg

Ingredients

• For the pasta: 300 g dry wheat pasta spirals
• 200 g cooked pork ham (ready-to-eat cooked ham, not raw cured ham)
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 small onion (about 80 g)
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil for frying, 1 tbsp per batch
• ¼ tsp salt and a little mild pepper for the pasta
• Optional: 1 tbsp washed, finely chopped parsley to sprinkle on top
• Water and salt for boiling pasta according to the packet
• For the salad: 400 g carrots
• 1 apple (about 150 g)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1–2 tbsp water for the salad

Method

1. Wash hands and prepare the ingredients. An adult peels the onion and finely dices it. Cut the cooked ham into small cubes. Set pasta and ham aside; keep ham chilled until needed.
2. Thoroughly wash carrots and apple. An adult peels carrots, cores the apple and finely grates both. Mix with lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and 1–2 tbsp water. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Keep children’s fingers away from the sharp grater.
3. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt and pasta according to the packet. Cook until soft enough to eat. An adult carefully drains it in a colander: water and steam are hot. Drain well.
4. Cook in two batches in a frying pan about 28 cm wide. Divide cooked pasta, onion, ham, salt and pepper into two equal amounts. This leaves room for stirring and helps the egg cook evenly. An adult now preheats the oven to 80°C conventional for briefly keeping the first batch warm.
5. Immediately before each batch, crack 2 eggs into a small bowl and beat with a fork to mix white and yolk. Do not taste raw egg. Wash hands after touching eggs or shells; keep shells and used bowls away from salad and cooked food.
6. An adult heats 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook half the onion gently for about 3–4 minutes until soft. Add half the ham and fry for about 1 minute. Add half the pasta and heat for about 2 minutes, stirring. Lower the heat if anything browns too much.
7. Add the 2 beaten eggs and half the salt and pepper. Cook over medium to low heat for about 3–5 minutes, regularly loosening the mixture from the pan bottom and stirring with a spatula. All egg must be firm, with no liquid or translucent patches. An adult checks that every part reaches at least 70°C for 2 minutes. Cook longer if needed; time alone is not a doneness test.
8. Transfer the first cooked batch into a clean ovenproof dish and keep warm in an oven preheated to 80°C conventional while cooking the second batch. Adults use oven gloves. Repeat with the remaining oil, onion, ham, pasta, 2 freshly beaten eggs and seasoning; fully cook the egg again.
9. Divide both batches between four plates, sprinkle with parsley if wished and serve with salad. Eat freshly cooked and let everything cool to a comfortable temperature before tasting. Prepare suitably small bites for young children.