A love of alliteration led Cornish farmer *Charlie Watson-Smyth* to attempt the UK's only homegrown pasta
The idea for Padstow Pasta came about in quite a funny way. I've always grown cereals and reared sheep, but when we opened our farm shop seven years ago, we decided to rear cattle and pigs too. We started making our own sausages, which we called Padstow Porkers. I liked the alliterative name so, when I started thinking what other products we should make, I hit upon the idea of Padstow Pasta …
As a farmer, I'm always looking for another challenge – it's what drives me. So, despite knowing nothing about it, I decided to buy some durum wheat seed.
The first year I approached the crop like a commercial wheat crop and focused on quantity instead of quality. The yield was great, but the quality terrible. The next year, I planted the seed thinly so the grains got a lot more sun. The results were fantastic.
A farm up the road agreed to help us out with the milling. We ground the first batch really fine, which was no use. If the flour is too fine, it won't stick together properly when you add water. So instead we tried milling the flour at a few different grades, then mixing it together. It worked beautifully. We invested in a small-scale pasta machine with high-quality brass dies to cut the pasta.
Our pasta has a rough finish, which is exactly what you need for the sauce to stick to it. We decided not to try to mimic Italian pasta. We make Padstow Pasta, and as long as people like it and continue to eat it, that's all that matters to us.
There are so many farm shops in the UK now, we are trying to produce items that set us apart. As far as I know, we are the only farm in the country to grow our own wheat and make pasta from scratch. It seems to be working really well, and I get huge satisfaction from that.
*Tagliatelle with Parma ham and broad beans*
Salty Parma ham provides a fabulous foil for creamy goat's cheese in a delicious dish that's perfectly poised for fork-twirling tagliatelle.
Serves 2
*175g young broad beans*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*90g Parma ham, sliced*
*1 shallot, finely chopped*
*1 clove garlic, crushed*
*200g tagliatelle*
*1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh parsley*
*150g goat's cheese, rind on*
*Salt and black pepper*
*1* Blanch the broad beans in boiling water and remove the outer skin, set aside.
*2* Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the Parma ham slices until crisp and crinkled, put on to a plate and set aside.
*3 *Add the shallot and crushed garlic into the pan, then cook gently for 5 minutes to soften, do not brown. Turn the heat to medium, add the broad beans and cook, stirring for 4 minutes.
*4 *Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water until al dente.
*5* Meanwhile, set the grill to high. Add the parsley to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then add the ham, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
*6 *Cut the goat's cheese into slices and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet. Grill for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
*7* Drain the pasta and lightly toss with the Parma ham mixture, reheating if necessary. Arrange on plates and top with the grilled goat's cheese. Serve at once.
*Exclusive reader offer *Padstow Farm Shop is offering the first 50 readers to contact them a free 400g bag of Padstow Pasta's conchiglie. Call 01841 533060 or email to claim yours; padstowfarmshop.co.uk Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 hours ago.
The idea for Padstow Pasta came about in quite a funny way. I've always grown cereals and reared sheep, but when we opened our farm shop seven years ago, we decided to rear cattle and pigs too. We started making our own sausages, which we called Padstow Porkers. I liked the alliterative name so, when I started thinking what other products we should make, I hit upon the idea of Padstow Pasta …
As a farmer, I'm always looking for another challenge – it's what drives me. So, despite knowing nothing about it, I decided to buy some durum wheat seed.
The first year I approached the crop like a commercial wheat crop and focused on quantity instead of quality. The yield was great, but the quality terrible. The next year, I planted the seed thinly so the grains got a lot more sun. The results were fantastic.
A farm up the road agreed to help us out with the milling. We ground the first batch really fine, which was no use. If the flour is too fine, it won't stick together properly when you add water. So instead we tried milling the flour at a few different grades, then mixing it together. It worked beautifully. We invested in a small-scale pasta machine with high-quality brass dies to cut the pasta.
Our pasta has a rough finish, which is exactly what you need for the sauce to stick to it. We decided not to try to mimic Italian pasta. We make Padstow Pasta, and as long as people like it and continue to eat it, that's all that matters to us.
There are so many farm shops in the UK now, we are trying to produce items that set us apart. As far as I know, we are the only farm in the country to grow our own wheat and make pasta from scratch. It seems to be working really well, and I get huge satisfaction from that.
*Tagliatelle with Parma ham and broad beans*
Salty Parma ham provides a fabulous foil for creamy goat's cheese in a delicious dish that's perfectly poised for fork-twirling tagliatelle.
Serves 2
*175g young broad beans*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*90g Parma ham, sliced*
*1 shallot, finely chopped*
*1 clove garlic, crushed*
*200g tagliatelle*
*1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh parsley*
*150g goat's cheese, rind on*
*Salt and black pepper*
*1* Blanch the broad beans in boiling water and remove the outer skin, set aside.
*2* Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the Parma ham slices until crisp and crinkled, put on to a plate and set aside.
*3 *Add the shallot and crushed garlic into the pan, then cook gently for 5 minutes to soften, do not brown. Turn the heat to medium, add the broad beans and cook, stirring for 4 minutes.
*4 *Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water until al dente.
*5* Meanwhile, set the grill to high. Add the parsley to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then add the ham, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
*6 *Cut the goat's cheese into slices and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet. Grill for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
*7* Drain the pasta and lightly toss with the Parma ham mixture, reheating if necessary. Arrange on plates and top with the grilled goat's cheese. Serve at once.
*Exclusive reader offer *Padstow Farm Shop is offering the first 50 readers to contact them a free 400g bag of Padstow Pasta's conchiglie. Call 01841 533060 or email to claim yours; padstowfarmshop.co.uk Reported by guardian.co.uk 19 hours ago.