Carolina Diaz is a culinary department faculty member at Triton College. She is also the chef di cucina for Terzo Piano at the Art Institute of Chicago. She has recently earned the title of 2018 Barilla Pasta U.S. Master of Pasta.
Q: Where did you grow up and go to high school?
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Day Luggage Set Deals 2026
A: I grew up in Northlake. I went to Proviso West High School.
Q: Did you always want to study culinary arts at Triton?
A: I went to Triton right after high school, and I took general education. I was going to study psychology. Halfway through studying, I realized I had a knack for cooking.
Q: How long have you been a faculty member at Triton College?
A: I’ve been a faculty member since the winter of 2017.
Q: What do you teach at Triton?
A: This fall, I will be teaching food prep essentials, Italian cooking and butchery.
Q: How did you hear about the 2018 Barilla Pasta U.S. Master of Pasta competition?
A: My specialty is making pasta. I love making fresh-made pasta for the restaurant, Terzo Piano. I always post my pasta on Instagram. Someone reached out and told me about the competition. Barilla allowed us to go into their headquarters in Northbrook. They had every brand and shape of Barilla pasta.
Q: What did the competition entail?
A: The theme was “eat positive.” We made a rigatoni with a roasted red pepper and tomato cream. We topped it with fresh tuna and scallions. We won first place.
Q: Tell me about the Barilla Pasta World Championship in Italy.
A: We will be competing in the Barilla Pasta World Championship. The competition will showcase several different countries. We’ll be competing against all of them. It is a tournament-style competition where we’ll be paired off with another country until it’s down to a final two. There are several different rounds.
Q: When is the competition?
A: It is Oct. 24 through 25 in Milan.
Q: Who will be your assistant?
A: I will be competing with another faculty member, Manny Uribe.
Q: What are you most excited about?
A: We’re excited to see how pasta translates in different countries.
Q; What are you doing to prepare?
A: I’ve been practicing my pomodoro sauce. I want to make sure it comes second nature at the competition.
More Top Picks Best Copper Cookware Sets For Home Cooks
Q: What do you like the most about cooking?
A: I like creating memories when I’m cooking.