Creamy Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Mushrooms - Cookery Club

This week, Mrs Smith's after-school Cookery Club enjoyed making a brilliant, healthy, budget-busting dish. We estimate that for one portion, it would cost approximately 95 pence to make!

The children put their chopping skills to the test with this quick and simple recipe, tackling the mushrooms and bacon, and combined the rest of the ingredients together with the cooked pasta, on the electric hob plate. They decorated their own takeaway cartons, ready to take home at the end of the hour and eat at home. From the tasters they sampled, this was a big hit!

Recipe which serves 2 people:

Ingredients:

• 200g dried pasta
• 2 trimmed, smoked or unsmoked bacon medallions cut into strips
• 150g white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 150g frozen peas
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 110g reduced-fat cream cheese
• 5g Parmesan cheese, finely grated 

Method:

1.  Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions
2.  Add the bacon and mushrooms to a non-stick pan and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
3.  Add the frozen peas and stir well. Season with the salt and pepper, but bear in mind that the bacon will already add saltiness. Turn down the heat and stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan.
4.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain, add to the sauce and stir until thoroughly coated - enjoy!