4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Please note there is no recording of this session.
This week’s dish: Penne pasta with bacon, leek & mushroom sauce
This week we are heading back to great simple Italian food utilising fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques. Make sure to get yourself some nice crusty bread and your favourite salad to have with this meal.
Scout Leader and Western Health’s Director of Operations for Health Support Services, Bryan, was a chef for 20 years. Once he started an apprenticeship, Bryan discovered a world of food that he never knew existed – and he loved it. He had grown up in an era where pizza was exotic, he didn’t see a spring roll until he was 12 and the culinary highlight of his week when young was the Sunday Roast for lunch.
Bryan’s passion for cooking was brought back the forefront to keep his scout group connected and engaged while they went online during the first lockdown in 2020. The cook-along series has been a rip roaring success with up to 55 families logging on, and classes have continued through the (many) lockdowns thereafter.
The live sessions have proven to be a perfect respite for parents and caregivers to switch off from work and tune into being present as a family at the weekend. Bryan focuses on teaching people that we can say goodbye to packaged and processed food, because cooking fresh food from scratch is simple and delicious. Every dish is ready to eat within two hours – perfectly lined up for Saturday night.
Session format
This is an interactive session for participants to cook along at home. Simply pick up the ingredients and gather the equipment on the below list, and Bryan will lead you through the recipe from start to finish.
We encourage you to keep your video on during the session so Bryan can engage with you. Your sound will be muted, and you are encouraged to use the ‘chat’ to ask any questions.
Ingredients – serves 5-6
- 50 grams butter
- Olive oil
- 6-7 cloves of garlic
- 500g penne or other pasta (not spaghetti or fettuccine)
- Ingredients for your favourite green salad
- 2 leeks
- Sea salt and pepper
- 150g middle bacon
- ½ bunch of spring onions
- 300g button mushrooms
- 300ml thickened cream
- 100ml white wine
- 40g parmesan (do yourself a favour and buy a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- A loaf of nice crusty sourdough or a fresh baguette
Equipment
- 1 x large pot
- Grater/microplane
- Small bowls for holding ingredients
- 1 large frying pan preferably heavy based
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoons