Adding Homemade Fettuccine to the Curriculum

The Academy’s Culinary Arts team might just be one of Sarasota’s best kept secrets. With our focus on fresh and healthy ingredients, our daily lunches rival many local eateries. While our menu tends to rely heavily on vegetables and lean proteins, last week we got a bit indulgent. Everything in moderation, right?

The Culinary Arts team outdid themselves with an Academy first: Housemade fettuccine! This labor of love began the day before it was to be served. The dough was made and then formed into rounds, and then chilled overnight. Next, members took turns feeding the dough through a pasta machine to stretch it. The trick, we learned, is in knowing how thin to get the dough. It takes many times through the machine, adjusting the settings at each pass to get it just right. The dough was then cut into the desired width and voila (!!) we had fettuccine! Ours was served with grilled shrimp, a little chopped tomato, fresh basil, and shaved parmesan. It just doesn’t get any better than this! As delicious as it tasted, what we are sure to remember is the experience of learning this new skill together. In the words of Academy member Matthew Thomas, “Wow! This is so much fun!”