Foundations: Week Six

My sixth week in the Culinary Foundations program at PICA explored the versatile world of legumes, grains, and fresh and dried pasta. We experienced the process of cooking various dried legumes and creating hearty dishes, such as lentil soup and white bean and kale ragu. We also delved into grain cookery, preparing homemade ricotta and truffled duxelles for stuffed pasta and crafting an oxtail ragu with semolina gnocchi. Our official introduction to pasta included learning to make basic egg pasta dough and preparing perfect al dente dishes, such as spaghetti aglio e olio and penne arrabbiata. This week focused on more fundamental staples for creating nutritious and well-rounded meals.