PVHS Culinary Arts Works With Olive Garden

May 18, 2022

Pioneer Valley High School Culinary Arts students mastered Olive Garden’s fettucine alfredo and breadsticks recipes with a little help from restaurant general manager Leonard Rodriguez.

Rodriguez recently brought some specific items or “secret ingredients” into the classroom kitchen. He then taught the students how to perfect the sauces to the eating establishment’s standards.

Once the sauce was completed, Rodriguez taste tested each sauce and selected a winner from each class period that was the most similar to the Olive Garden taste, texture and consistency. He also talked with the students about the importance of recipe accuracy and the cost of waste for the restaurant and company.

“It was a cool experience to learn a recipe from an established restaurant like Olive Garden,’’ said Nate Magni, 11th grade.

“It was a good learning experience to have Leonard from Olive Garden,’’ said Naomi Navarro 11th grade. “He shared his personal experiences and knowledge with us from the business. The fettucine alfredo was so delicious and it tasted just like Olive Garden!”

Olive Garden has been an industry partner with PVHS for several years providing this hand- on experience as well as industry tours of the restaurant.

“We are very fortunate to have Olive Garden as an industry partner,’’ said Panther Culinary Arts- Family and Consumer Science Teacher Jenn Montanez. “The students really enjoyed this opportunity to meet with Leonard and make an Olive Garden recipe.”

There are about 40 CTE Pathways offered throughout the SMJUHSD, according to CTE Director Dr. Paul Robinson. The SMJUHSD has more than 25 industry partners, Robinson added.

SMJUHSD Media Contact: Public Information Officer Kenny Klein 805-709-1454 or kklein@smjuhsd.org