Pastabilities Unlimited is the latest youth engagement endeavor by Medford nonprofit Kids Unlimited, which brings the project to the community this spring.

A recipe for developing students’ culinary and workforce skills, Pastabilities Unlimited is one of the newest vendors at Medford farmers market. Customers can purchase KU’s freshly made artisan pasta Thursdays at Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market in Hawthorne Park.

Pastabilities Unlimited builds on KU’s history of supporting its programs with entrepreneurism — from event production to screen-printing. Culinary arts are the next discipline to empower students’ experience of the business sector, from product innovation to distribution and marketing.

Fresh pasta was served at KU’s fall dinner theater.

Fresh pasta dough is the medium for students’ creativity and shaping their business model. The project incentivizes students’ volunteer labor toward gaining vital job experience that jumpstarts their post-secondary education resumes. A commercial pasta-making machine was purchased for the project with grant funds from Leightman Maxey Foundation, and pasta is produced in KU’s certified commercial kitchen.

Pastabilities Unlimited officially debuted at KU’s Dec. 14 Hope for the Holidays benefit. Donors and supporters enjoyed a three-course meal featuring KU’s small-batch pasta. The pasta’s encore came Dec. 17, when everyone attending KU’s Whoville Family Fun Night got a free portion of Grinch-green noodles in marinara sauce.

KU is in the process of developing a line of sauces to complement the pasta. Noodle shapes range from mainstream, such as fettuccine and penne, to lesser known bucatini and campanelle, typically seen in Italian restaurants. A half-pound bag at the farmers market sells for $5, a full pound for $9.

Supervised by executive chef Nathan Herbold, Pastabilities Unlimited intersects with KU’s award-winning Food Program, students’ health and nutrition instruction and parent engagement. Herbold has been testing the pasta in daily meals while simultaneously incorporating more locally grown and raised foods. All KU Academy students still are eligible for free breakfast, lunch and dinner.