1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,000 For the first time, Inside The Factory goes overseas. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,280 We are in Parma, Italy, 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,160 to discover the secrets of one of our favourite foods. 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:20,720 Every year in the UK, we eat nearly 1.5 billion bowls of pasta. 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,640 We've come to the largest dried pasta factory in the world. 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,920 In fact, it's so big they get around on bicycles! 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,600 And, tonight, they are letting us inside. 8 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:38,920 60% of the pasta made in Italy comes out of this factory. 9 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,960 And, every year, 3,000 tonnes of it end up in the UK. 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:46,880 I'm Gregg Wallace. 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,560 Tutti spaghetti! It's a waterfall! 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:55,680 And I'm learning how they make 150,000 kilometres of spaghetti every day. 13 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,600 It's like a jungle in here. 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:02,000 I'll come face-to-face with the amazing technology behind more than 15 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:03,480 100 pasta shapes. 16 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,040 Every single wheel is one more pasta shape. 17 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,560 And discover how they've super-sized traditional methods to deliver 18 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,800 almost a tonne every minute. 19 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,080 It's like a clothes line. 20 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,320 It's like putting out the washing to dry. 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:23,640 I'm Cherry Healey and I'll be on a race against time, following the 22 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,440 journey of this delicate herb, basil. 23 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,040 From field to a jar of pesto in just five hours. 24 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,600 It's like a really odd video game. 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,680 And I'll learn the secrets of cooking and serving perfect pasta. 26 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,240 So, it's all about keeping the sauce on the pasta? 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,240 And historian Ruth Goodman discovers that pasta's been on British menus 28 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:47,880 for longer than you'd think. 29 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,880 That's a long time ago, isn't it, 1390. 30 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:53,440 In the next 24 hours, 31 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,440 over 1,000 tonnes of pasta will fly out of this factory. 32 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:02,280 We're going to show you how they manage production on such an epic scale. 33 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,160 Welcome to Inside The Factory. 34 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,240 Behind me is the Barilla pasta factory in Parma, Italy. 35 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,880 The size of 100 football pitches, 36 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:32,480 it churns out 330,000 tonnes of pasta every year. 37 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,600 That's enough to make three billion plates of pasta. 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,080 They produce 110 different types. 39 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,960 But tonight I'm going to follow this wheat as it is transformed into the 40 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,920 world's favourite dried pasta, spaghetti. 41 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,320 It all begins with a very impressive delivery. 42 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,200 Gianluca Allodi is seeing it in from Ravenna, 100 miles away. 43 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:09,640 That is enormous. 44 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:10,840 How long is that train? 45 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:12,640 500 metres. 46 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:14,360 500 metres?! 47 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,840 That is very, very impressive. 48 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:20,280 And a little bit scary. 49 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:29,080 This train's 20 freight cars are bringing in 1,150 tonnes of wheat. 50 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,280 Are we ready to unload? 51 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:32,640 HE SPEAKS ITALIAN 52 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,160 This is the key ingredient for pasta. 53 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,160 And it's where my spaghetti production line begins. 54 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,200 It falls on the floor! 55 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:48,360 Of course it does! 56 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,480 It drops through grates on to underground conveyor belts which 57 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,960 whizz it across to these temperature controlled storage silos. 58 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,320 Together they hold 600,000 tonnes. 59 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,040 To unload... 60 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,920 Yes? How long it take? 61 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:07,440 20 minutes per carriage. 62 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,000 20 minutes each carriage? 63 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:12,560 They'll be here all day! 64 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,560 No, will be around eight hours. 65 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,600 That's a whole day. 66 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,760 In England, that is a whole day. 67 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,760 Eight hours. 68 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,000 VOICEOVER: Besides water, this is 69 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,800 the only ingredient in this factory's dried pasta, 70 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,920 so they take it pretty seriously. 71 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:33,160 It is our gold. Your gold? 72 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:39,560 Yes. I have been looking at factories for three years... Tre anni. 73 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:44,760 I have never, ever seen anything like this. 74 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,320 This is incredible. 75 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:51,920 Two monster deliveries like this come in every week. 76 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,680 But before the wheat's cleared to go any further, 77 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,960 it's held for eight hours of quality checks. 78 00:04:58,640 --> 00:04:59,840 Then it's sent on its way. 79 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,080 From the silos, it heads to the 80 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,480 on-site mill. Travelling the 200 metres on overhead conveyors. 81 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,840 With Gianluca and me in hot pursuit. 82 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,280 This seven-story mill is one of the biggest of its type in the world. 83 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,400 As soon as the wheat arrives, 84 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,480 every single grain gets a once over to check it's up to scratch. 85 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,040 This is the optical sorter machine. 86 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,840 It's looking? Yes. It can see? 87 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:35,440 It's looking at every kernel. 88 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,760 And it decides to remove it or not. 89 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:45,600 This machine's digital camera scans 34,000 kernels a second. 90 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:50,040 It identifies and rejects any that are broken or discoloured. 91 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,720 The machine removed this? 92 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,680 Yes, because they are black. 93 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,000 How does it remove...? 94 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,600 By air compressor, a little bit blows, removes, one by one. 95 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,120 Solo minuto, solo minuto. 96 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:07,880 The machine can see... 97 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,360 In a fraction of a second. And if it's not perfect, 98 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,960 it shoots it with a jet of air? 99 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:15,840 Absolutely, yes. 100 00:06:16,840 --> 00:06:18,400 Absolutely. Really? 101 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,440 THEY SPEAK ITALIAN 102 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,400 Now everything has to stop while the wheat is soaked in water 103 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:27,400 for 30 hours. 104 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:33,440 Meanwhile, Cherry's been finding out about the special variety they use here. 105 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,240 It's called durum wheat. 106 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:43,440 I'm at the factory's research lab where the twice-named Alessandro D'Alessandro 107 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,240 is filling me in. 108 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,320 Hi, Cherry, how are you? Good to meet you. Come with me. 109 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:53,320 VOICEOVER: I want to know why durum wheat is so perfectly suited to making pasta, 110 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,800 and what makes it different from ordinary wheat. 111 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,160 And here we are. 112 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,880 In this way I will explain a little bit more about durum 113 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:04,200 and common wheat. 114 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,640 If, in summer, you go in a field of common wheat, you'll see this kind. 115 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:13,360 So, that is regular wheat that would make bread, pastry, 116 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,320 the kind of thing I'd have in my cupboard at home? 117 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,520 Yes, perfect. And that is durum wheat? 118 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,440 So, it does look pretty different. 119 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,920 Italy grows more durum wheat than anywhere else in Europe. 120 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,000 5,000 square miles is devoted to the crop. 121 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,720 Every summer they harvest four million tonnes of it. 122 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,280 And its main use is for making pasta. 123 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,960 In Latin, durum means hard. 124 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,800 So the grain in this is harder? 125 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,960 Yes. VOICEOVER: When you grind these two wheat varieties, 126 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,960 they produce very different results. 127 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,320 This is the white flour. 128 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,680 This is absolutely what's in my cupboard at home. 129 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,520 OK. That is your regular flour. 130 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,720 Yes, coming from the common wheat. 131 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,640 And try this. 132 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,920 That is what you get when you mill durum wheat. 133 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:11,800 It's very granular. 134 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,040 It's courser. 135 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,600 The durum wheat is much more hard, 136 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,600 and it's much more difficult to mill. 137 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:18,920 It's called semolina. 138 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,560 That means semi-milled. 139 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,160 To me, semolina is a pudding I used to have in the '80s. 140 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:32,040 But, in fact, its primary function is to make pasta. 141 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:33,400 Pasta flour? Absolutely. 142 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,600 Now we will prepare some dough. 143 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,440 VOICEOVER: When we turned these two flours into dough, 144 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,680 they have very different properties. 145 00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:47,000 Alessandro's is made from durum wheat semolina. 146 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 Mine from common wheat flour. 147 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,120 Now, using a machine that measures the elasticity of dough, 148 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,160 we can see how they behave differently. 149 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,080 First, the common wheat. 150 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,720 I feel like we're making miniature pizzas. 151 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:03,280 We close it. OK. 152 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,560 And, if you're able to see what happens now... 153 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:09,600 Turn it... 154 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,440 Wow! It inflates, it's very elastic. 155 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,120 Look how big it is. 156 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,920 OK, so, that's the kind of size that you can get? 157 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:20,880 Yes. And it looks thin. 158 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,320 Thin and stretchy. Not so strong. 159 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,360 The reason why you can use it for pizza, for example. 160 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,120 Because you can stretch it far. 161 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,640 VOICEOVER: Now to try the durum wheat dough. 162 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,960 This is the closest I'll get to Italian cooking, I reckon. 163 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,560 Is that down? 164 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:42,920 See what happens. So, it looks much thicker. 165 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:43,960 Yes. 166 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,400 The dimension of this one is more like this. 167 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,200 So, the durum wheat is less stretchy and much more strong? 168 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:57,120 Yes. And that's what we need for the pasta cooking process. 169 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,600 VOICEOVER: But I want to know what happens when you turn these 170 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,600 two kinds of dough into pasta. 171 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,640 This is pasta made from common wheat. 172 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,960 And this is your classic durum wheat pasta? 173 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,200 It is. In together? Yes. 174 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,800 Three, two, one... 175 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:15,840 Go. 176 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,600 Why is there a layer of foam and bubbles in this one? 177 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Here, the starch is released in the cooking water. 178 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,760 So, that's all the starch coming out of the pasta. 179 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,160 Whereas the stronger durum wheat holds the starch in 180 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,440 meaning the pasta keeps its shape and the water stays clear. 181 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,200 But how does this affect the taste? 182 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,240 First, the common wheat pasta. 183 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:52,200 Right, my gosh. Yeah, it's really sticky and mulchy. 184 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,800 Buon appetito. Buon appetito. 185 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,360 It tastes slimy. 186 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,520 And it's left an unpleasant coating in my mouth. 187 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,760 Is that all the starch still coming out? 188 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,640 Yeah. Let's try the durum pasta. 189 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,560 OK. I'm not doing this well. 190 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:17,280 This is why you don't eat spaghetti on a first date. 191 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:18,320 OK. 192 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:22,360 Much nicer to eat. 193 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:23,840 Not slimy. 194 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:28,680 Not sticky. Definitely I can see why the durum wheat is preferable when 195 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:30,280 making pasta. It's clear now, huh? 196 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:31,560 Absolutely. 197 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:37,360 Durum wheat's semolina guarantees a high-quality product and most of the 198 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,360 dried pasta we buy in the UK is made from it. 199 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,920 Back at the mill, the durum wheat is ready to 200 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,480 be turned into semolina. 201 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,200 This is an incredible room. 202 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,080 Yes, our spider room. 203 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:02,160 This astonishing 3.5 mile long web of steel pipes connects the seven 204 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,000 stories of the building and every stage of the milling process. 205 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,800 Right now my wheat is shooting through here 206 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,160 on its way to the first floor. 207 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:19,640 What is happening? Here, we start our grinding process. 208 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:25,080 So, the wheat goes down and two cylinders, two wheels crush? 209 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,400 Crush in the right way. 210 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,840 I can show you the result. Yes, please. Per favore. 211 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:37,360 The coarse outer bran is cracked open to release the pale, 212 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,200 yellow endosperm. 213 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,240 The part we need to make semolina. 214 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,880 How do you separate? 215 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,000 Let me show you. 216 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,160 This is our semolina. 217 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,920 Yes, but you can't shake everything with your hand. 218 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:00,240 Not exactly. 219 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,800 We have special machines to do that. 220 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,280 What is that! 221 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:15,560 Many, many hands. 222 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,040 It's like one great big sieve. 223 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:20,520 Yes. Exactly. 224 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,200 In fact, it is 26 sieves stacked on top of one another. 225 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,240 Our crushed kernels are piped in at the top, 226 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,240 then descend through increasingly finer sieves, 227 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,920 which separate the endosperm from the bran. 228 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,560 There are eight of these bizarre machines. 229 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:45,720 They process 34 tonnes of wheat an hour. 230 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,000 24-hours a day, 231 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:49,880 seven days a week. 232 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,080 That is fantastic and funny. 233 00:13:57,760 --> 00:13:59,000 How long does it take? 234 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,920 A few seconds. A few seconds? 235 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,480 A few seconds from there to here. 236 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:08,960 Can I see? Yes. 237 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:16,960 This is bran. 238 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,320 This is almost semolina. 239 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:26,360 We have black and brown specks inside and we have to take out these. 240 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,040 VOICEOVER: I can't see any specks. 241 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:32,080 But these machines will keep sieving it until it's perfectly yellow. 242 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,000 And they're so concerned about quality 243 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,280 they send it off for yet another round of checks 244 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,040 before it's released to 245 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,400 the next stage of the production process. 246 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,840 We've made our semolina, now we're ready to make spaghetti. 247 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,280 But when I was a boy it was an exotic dish. 248 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,920 Ruth Goodman's delving back into our pasta history, 249 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,160 beginning with a famous hoax. 250 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,400 In 1957, the BBC ran a short news report about 251 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,920 the spaghetti harvest featuring a 252 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,440 family harvesting fresh spaghetti... 253 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:10,640 from trees. 254 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,800 After picking, the spaghetti is laid out to dry in the warm Alpine sun. 255 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:24,840 It was the ultimate April fool, a yearly tradition for broadcasters. 256 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:29,120 And this one relied on how little was known about pasta 257 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:30,600 in 1950s Britain. 258 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:35,360 So, when did the first pasta appear in the UK? 259 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,360 In the archives of the British Library, 260 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,840 food historian Polly Russell has been searching for the answer. 261 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:51,960 This is Eliza Acton's first edition Modern Cookery, from 1845. 262 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,800 And right from the first edition, 263 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:59,720 you see that you have pasta being served on its own for ordinary 264 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:01,160 middle-class families. 265 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,160 That's extraordinary, isn't it? 266 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,600 Victorians eating pasta is surprising, 267 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,640 but Polly's discovered a reference 268 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,600 that's much earlier in this precious manuscript. 269 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,360 It just looks so small. 270 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,360 It's amazing, isn't it? 271 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,240 This little old scroll is the Forme Of Cury. 272 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:21,800 Look at that. 273 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:26,240 VOICEOVER: A cookbook written in 1390 for King Richard II. 274 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,920 This may be the first version of pasta or a pasta dish 275 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,960 in the English language, back to 1390. 276 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,640 It's a long time ago, isn't it, 1390. 277 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,760 And we really think this is a pasta recipe. 278 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,120 When you look at what they are describing, 279 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,440 both in terms of what to do and the ingredients, 280 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,360 it really suggests this is a prototype pasta. 281 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,320 This recipe is written in Middle English. 282 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,480 "Take flour... 283 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:57,720 "Flour of pandemain." 284 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:01,200 I think that's white flour. Yes, very finely milled, white flour. 285 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,640 "And make thereof thin foils as paper." 286 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:08,640 So, just like lasagne. 287 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,160 Leaves of pasta. 288 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:11,320 The leaves of pasta! 289 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,280 I suppose the only real way of knowing... 290 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:15,280 Is to cook it up. 291 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,720 VOICEOVER: 627 years after it was written, 292 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,920 we're going to try this recipe out. 293 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,200 "Take flour of pandemain." 294 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,040 There's no eggs, are there, it's just water. 295 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,600 No, it doesn't say anything about how long we should knead it 296 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:32,760 or work it or anything. 297 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,640 This has been written for somebody who already knows what 298 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,280 they're doing. 299 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:41,160 "With roller. Take thin foils, as thin as paper." 300 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,960 That's not bad. That's paper-thin. 301 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,560 And then we've got to "dry it hard." 302 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,040 Which I think that must mean in the bottom of the oven. 303 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:53,160 Very medieval, that. 304 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,480 "Seethe it in the broth." 305 00:17:57,480 --> 00:17:59,720 Okey doke. 306 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:05,400 "Then take cheese and lay it in the dish with poudre douce." 307 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,920 Poudre douce is a mixture of 308 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,040 ginger and cinnamon. 309 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,680 So it will have a sweetish savoury taste. 310 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,520 There's no mention of putting that in the oven. 311 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,840 I don't think that is fit for a king's table. 312 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,640 For me, that just has to go in an oven. 313 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:24,400 We're sticking it in the oven. 314 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,960 This certainly looks like pasta. 315 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,320 But how did this recipe end up in an 316 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,160 English king's 14th century cookbook? 317 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:40,880 It is probable that the Arabs brought pasta with them in the ninth century 318 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,080 through southern Europe, starting in Sicily. 319 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,800 And pasta may have moved up with William the Conqueror. 320 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:51,800 I mean, the link is really close because the Normans invade Sicily 321 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,960 in 1060, and they invade Britain 1066. 322 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,200 So, the Arabs bring pasta to southern Europe? 323 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,800 Yes. And then the Normans bring it up to us? 324 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:04,840 Quite possibly. 325 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:10,720 Well, it looks like pasta. 326 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:11,760 Yes. 327 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:20,680 That's nicer than I was expecting, actually. It's very nice. 328 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,760 Better than it looks. They were definitely onto something. 329 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,840 I think we can very safely say this is a pasta dish. 330 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,560 The master cooks knew what they were doing. 331 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,320 VOICEOVER: So, it turns out pasta's been in the UK for six centuries. 332 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,960 A food that once graced a king's table, is now an everyday favourite. 333 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:49,920 Back at the factory, 334 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:54,960 my freshly ground semolina is travelling from the mill, 335 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,640 300 metres underground, to the production area. 336 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,440 Claudio Dallagiacomo is the boss on the production line. 337 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,240 You must make a lot of spaghetti. 338 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,600 Six tonnes per hour of spaghetti. 339 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:07,960 Six tonnes every hour? 340 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,640 Every hour. You show me how to make spaghetti? 341 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,800 Absolutely, absolutely. 342 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,560 My semolina comes through this hopper and is fed downwards into a 343 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,720 high-speed mixer where it is combined with water to make dough. 344 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,440 We use only semolina and water. 345 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,400 When I make pasta at home, I use an egg. 346 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,400 Semolina and water only. 347 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:33,880 Nothing else? Nothing. 348 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:34,920 Don't lie to me! 349 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:37,480 And how long will it mix? 350 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,920 20 minuti. 351 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,800 Perfect, your Italian language is perfect. 352 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,280 2.5 hours into the process, 353 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:52,920 my dough is mixed and is ready to be transformed into spaghetti. 354 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,600 With the help of some clever bits of kit. 355 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,600 Oh, OK. 356 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,520 OK, this is your die, your mould. 357 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,120 The dough gets pushed through here? 358 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:08,680 For every hole, we take one spaghetti. 359 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,640 VOICEOVER: Two blocks of dies are mounted in this machine. 360 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:16,360 The dough is pushed through at 100 times normal air pressure, creating 361 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:20,400 11,000 individual strands of spaghetti. 362 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,400 Wow! Wow! 363 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,760 This is spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti. 364 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:28,080 Tutti spaghetti! 365 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:33,440 In just one minute, the machine produces 52 miles of spaghetti. 366 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:37,440 Enough to stretch from Glasgow to Edinburgh. 367 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,720 Can I touch? Absolutely. 368 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,200 VOICEOVER: Don't worry, I washed my hands thoroughly before I came in. 369 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:45,840 It's constantly moving. 370 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,520 Fantastic. Fantastic. 371 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:50,640 It's a waterfall. 372 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:53,600 As the spaghetti descends, 373 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:58,080 it's looped over moving rails and cut into 65 centimetre sections. 374 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,880 You have row upon row upon row of spaghetti hanging. 375 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:10,520 You are cutting through, well, five or six lines of spaghetti here. 376 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:11,560 Exactly. 377 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:18,680 I like it. What happens to all the small spaghetti that is cut off? 378 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,320 Very, very important, we recycle this product and we use it in the mix. 379 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,200 So, the small spaghetti you cut goes back upstairs to the mix? 380 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:32,040 Exactly. VOICEOVER: At this stage, my raw spaghetti is 30% water. 381 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:38,800 It feels really spongy, really springy and bouncy. 382 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:39,840 Can I try? 383 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:46,120 Good? 384 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:48,680 Very chewy. It goes like... 385 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:49,720 Like chewing gum. 386 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,880 Next, my pasta moves on to the drying area. 387 00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:59,880 It's like a clothes line, it's like putting out the washing to dry. Exactly. 388 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:05,720 Traditionally, spaghetti would have been hung in the open air for three 389 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,080 days to be dried by a warm summer breeze. 390 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,680 But here things are a little more hi-tech. 391 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,760 Oh, my word, that is enormous! 392 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,200 That is just huge. 393 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:19,880 This is the drying equipment. 394 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:24,080 VOICEOVER: My spaghetti now begins a 10-hour journey through what is basically a 395 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,280 super-sized sauna. 396 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,480 Very hot, hey? 397 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,040 It's like a jungle in here! 398 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,400 It's hot and it is damp and sticky. 399 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,120 What temperature is this? 400 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,160 About 70 degrees. 70-75 degrees. 401 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:41,640 I feel like I am the spaghetti. 402 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,520 The heat dries the spaghetti 403 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,520 sucking out 10% of its moisture in the first hour. 404 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,440 Very, very hot. Heh, heh. 405 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,560 Yeah, that is hot. Can we get out of the oven, please? 406 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:00,880 So, that is stage one? 407 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:03,600 Over the next nine hours, 408 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:08,120 the spaghetti snakes through the dryer and three more levels of heat, 409 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:13,480 taking the moisture level right down to the ideal 12.5%. 410 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,520 It's a slow, gentle process that ensures 411 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,840 the spaghetti won't crack when it is cooked. 412 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,120 But it's missing one crucial ingredient, a sauce to go with it. 413 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,760 Spag bol is second only to a roast dinner on Britain's list of favourite 414 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,520 family meals but how is Bolognese sauce produced? 415 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:34,960 Cherry's been to find out. 416 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:42,120 Italy is Europe's biggest producer of tomatoes. 417 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:47,080 And the flat, fertile plains around Parma are studded with tomato plants. 418 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:52,080 Farmed outdoors in direct sunlight, 419 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:57,960 this variety has been specially selected to be perfect for pasta sauce. 420 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:03,200 The skin is very tough but they taste incredibly sweet and delicious. 421 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,560 They need a thick skin to allow them to be 422 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,600 mechanically processed and they 423 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,160 are normally ripe and ready from July. 424 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,800 The annual Italian tomato harvest is under way right now. 425 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:28,040 That machine collects the whole plant, the leaves and the roots. 426 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,880 I should probably get out of the way. 427 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,800 The harvester swallows up the crop, 428 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:40,480 shaking loose the tomatoes before sifting out any unwanted debris. 429 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,880 And, in just one hour, the trailer can collect 15 tonnes. 430 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,680 That's around 300,000 tomatoes. 431 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,480 The full load is then taken from the farm by tractor and trailer to the 432 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,960 giant tomato processing centre 433 00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:03,560 where I'm helping Giacoppa Calvi unload. 434 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,640 Whay! 435 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,120 Oh, that's so fun. 436 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,440 Do you want? Definitely. 437 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:13,080 Whoa, that's really heavy. 438 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:14,960 Oh, my God, that's really heavy. 439 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,160 VOICEOVER: The jet of water pushes the tomatoes 440 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,640 down and out of the bottom of the trailer. 441 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,280 Is this another reason why the tomatoes need to have a thick skin, 442 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:27,640 because if you did this to regular tomatoes they'd turn into soup? 443 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:32,280 Yes. VOICEOVER: It takes half an hour to carefully wash them all through. 444 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:37,240 Everything to do with farming requires so much patience. 445 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,960 If you're a farmer, you have to be a good lover because you need some 446 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:42,800 patience in your job. 447 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,480 So, if you're a farmer, you're a good lover? 448 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:46,520 Yes. 449 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:49,920 So Italian. So Italian. 450 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:51,080 So Italian. 451 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:58,320 The tomatoes bob happily along on a series of aqueducts, lifts, 452 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,640 and storage pools, which simultaneously clean 453 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,080 and transport them. 454 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:10,880 Once inside, they are steamed to remove that extra thick skin 455 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,640 before heading off to be cooked. 456 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:24,040 This impressive mountain of gleaming steel is, essentially, 457 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:29,880 a pressure cooker turning my tomato pulp into concentrate. 458 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:34,960 7kg of tomatoes reduce down into one kilogram of paste. 459 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,160 Oh, wow. 460 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:41,560 Then the drums of processed tomatoes travel six miles to another factory. 461 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,960 Where Gian Luigi Mason 462 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:48,720 is adding the final ingredients. 463 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,840 Carotti in cubetti. 464 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,240 Correct. Carrots sliced into small cubes. 465 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,280 Beautiful, orangey goodness. 466 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:05,560 Onion and basil are added to the tomatoes and carrots and the whole 467 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:06,600 lot simmers for an hour. 468 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,320 Wow. So, is that now finished? 469 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:17,960 Yes. So, this is 3,000 litres of this sauce. 470 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,560 How many bowls of pasta do you think I could make with this? 471 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,080 I think around 12,000 dishes of pasta. 472 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,120 That is one big dinner party. 473 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:34,960 To bottle this much sauce requires a 42 head rotary volumetric filler 474 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,000 running at six bottles a second. 475 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,120 Here it is. 476 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:45,280 So, next time you whip up a spag bol or lasagne at home, 477 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:49,480 just think about the incredible journey that humble tomato has had to go 478 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,000 on to bring you an Italian feast. 479 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,280 After nearly eight hours of careful processing, 480 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,960 my spaghetti is now halfway through the dryer. 481 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,680 But this isn't the only pasta that they produce here. 482 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:20,120 On 18 other lines, they make an amazing 110 different shapes. 483 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,240 From penne to lasagne sheets. 484 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,960 Alessandro Spadini is showing me the die wheels that create everyone of them. 485 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:35,200 Wow. Every single one of these wheels is one more pasta shape? 486 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:36,240 Exactly, Gregg. 487 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,480 Alessandro has a challenge for me. 488 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,440 Can I match the die to the pasta shape? 489 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:46,160 Where do you think this shape comes from? 490 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,280 This is easy, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 491 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,560 Because, look, you've got the ribs here. 492 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:53,920 Give me another one. 493 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:55,920 I have something a little bit more difficult. 494 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,040 Not the right direction, Gregg. 495 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:05,000 I don't know. 496 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,520 This one is for fusilli. 497 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:10,920 Why would that make that? You see here three wings. 498 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,160 Oh, OK, yeah, yeah, yeah. 499 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,680 What actually shows is the end. 500 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,440 OK, give me another, give me another. 501 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,320 This is very difficult. This is very small. 502 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,000 That is like a beautiful little shell. 503 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:24,760 What is that called? Gnochetti. 504 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:26,240 Small gnocchi? Exactly. 505 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,080 Gregg, what about this blade? 506 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:33,440 Really? Really. 507 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,040 Just this? Exactly. 508 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:36,680 Yeah, yeah. So, it must come out... 509 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:37,920 It must come out like this. 510 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:39,720 Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK. 511 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,160 So, it's always amazing. 512 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,560 I'd like to see a pasta with the smooth head. 513 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,120 Like mine? And glasses. 514 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:49,360 Named Gregg, probably. 515 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,800 Greggio. Can I see one of these wheels working? 516 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:54,240 Sure you can. Let's go. 517 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,200 Come on. Andiamo. 518 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:02,760 In the production area, the dies making bestsellers, like spaghetti, 519 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:03,960 are in constant use. 520 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,960 But die wheels making other shapes are only loaded when they're needed. 521 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:11,080 Come here, Gregg. 522 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:18,320 Oh! Today, this massive macaroni die is churning out 523 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:23,000 enough for 230 packets every minute. 524 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,200 Pasta is flowing out of the die, 525 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:32,600 and the knives continuously cut the pasta to obtain the right shape. 526 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:37,560 I'm watching 100 little worms coming down... Being cut. 527 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,240 That is lovely. 528 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:45,320 This is running all the time? 529 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,080 Yes. Continuously. 530 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,480 It's a continuous process, so 24-hours a day. 531 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:54,000 Thousands of little worm macaroni every hour. 532 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,360 Well, you don't have the mouth big enough. 533 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:01,400 Almost! 534 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,400 From the production lines, popular shapes 535 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,720 go straight into boxes and out to shops all over the world. 536 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,240 Others head to these storage silos, 537 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,000 ready to be packed the instant an order comes in. 538 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,320 It's very simple, 539 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,160 because you just open the silo and 540 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,680 it starts automatically to flow down, 541 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,880 in order to continue filling the 542 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,880 packaging machine without interruption. 543 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:34,920 It's amazing, isn't it? 544 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:38,880 Allesandro, how much pasta does one of these things hold? 545 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:40,320 So it depends on the shape. 546 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:45,400 As an average, it contains three tonnes of pasta. Each silo. 547 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,960 And how long does it take to empty? 548 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,040 It's very quick. Less than one hour. 549 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:56,520 This is a nonstop system designed to satisfy a huge customer demand. 550 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:05,320 This year, we have to produce 330,000 tonnes of pasta which are 551 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:09,480 roughly four billion dishes of pasta. 552 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,680 We can feed the world, roughly. 553 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:13,400 I think I've eaten a billion of them. 554 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:21,240 Macaroni is just one of many pasta shapes on our supermarket shelves. 555 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,160 So how do you choose which one to buy? 556 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,920 Cherry has been to sort out her farfalle from her fusilli. 557 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,800 At home, I don't get to choose what pasta we have, my kids do. 558 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,800 And it's normally pasta bows with tonnes of tomato sauce 559 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:47,640 and gallons of cheese. I don't think that's what the Italians had in mind when they 560 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,680 created all these beautiful pasta shapes. 561 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:55,040 To find out what's so different about each variety, 562 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:56,640 I've enlisted some help. 563 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:58,640 Ciao, Silvana! Ciao, Cherry. 564 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,640 VOICEOVER: Silvana Lanzetta from Naples is an expert on pasta. 565 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,880 How many different types of pasta are there? 566 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,160 We have over 350 pasta shapes. 567 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:08,440 350? 568 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:09,480 Over it, yes. 569 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,520 Why do I only ever eat one? 570 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:18,240 Traditionally each region of Italy has its very own pasta. 571 00:34:18,240 --> 00:34:21,480 This one, for instance, they are spaghetti alla chitarra. 572 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:22,920 Oh, so guitar pasta? 573 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:27,120 Yes. Which come from Abruzzo, this area here. 574 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,640 This pasta is called strozzapreti, from Bologna. 575 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:31,960 This is so odd! 576 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:33,040 Farfalle, pasta bow. 577 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,000 Oh, look! My favourite! 578 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,440 Your favourite? Pasta bows. 579 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,120 There you go. From Milano. 580 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,960 Bucatini. They are spaghetti with a hole. 581 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,880 A tiny hole all the way through it. 582 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:46,880 From Rome. What's this one called? 583 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,040 These are called Angel Hair. 584 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,160 Angel Hair? Because they are so thin. 585 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:52,520 They come from Sicily. 586 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,720 And finally, orecchiette. 587 00:34:54,720 --> 00:34:56,560 The name means little ears. 588 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,960 Little ears! Yeah, because the shape reminds a little bit of ears. 589 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,920 But why bother with so many different shapes? 590 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,960 Silvana, like most Italian cooks... 591 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:11,920 Wow! Yes, please! 592 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,440 Believes it's critical to match your shape to your sauce. 593 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,600 Does it really matter what sauce goes with pasta? 594 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,600 Of course it does! But it's just flour and water - it's all the same, 595 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,600 isn't it? It's just in different shapes for fun. 596 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,520 Indeed. No, it's not for fun - it's to carry the sauce. 597 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:32,040 Be careful, eh? Don't mess with Italians. Is it not? 598 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:37,880 VOICEOVER: In fact the design of each pasta shape has a huge effect on how it holds the sauce. 599 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:41,320 You've got the fusilli - tuna and onion sauce. 600 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:42,960 It fits the spirals. 601 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,760 Tuna has got right inside the ridges of the pasta. 602 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,640 Absolutely. You can see also the onions. 603 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,400 They kind of twist themselves around the pasta. 604 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,160 Yes. OK, so shell pasta... 605 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:58,920 Conchiglie. This is made with chunks of vegetables, 606 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:01,880 that are held by the cup. 607 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,640 So because this pasta is a bit bigger and it has a bigger scoop, 608 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,040 you can put chunkier vegetables in that? 609 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,720 Yes. And my favourite - the bow pasta. 610 00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:13,720 Farfalle, which means butterflies. 611 00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:17,120 Butterflies? So in fact it's not a bow shape - it's a butterfly shape. 612 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:21,320 Yes. This is particularly good for a creamy cheesy sauce. 613 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:24,920 The two scoops, the form, like basically two spoons. 614 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,880 So it's all about keeping the sauce on the pasta? 615 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:33,400 Absolutely. The pasta is a vessel to present your sauce. 616 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:40,640 A good rule of thumb is to match large shapes with thick chunky sauces, 617 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,760 and smaller shapes with thin or creamy sauces. 618 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:48,800 But what about our favourite pasta dish? 619 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:55,360 One of the pastas that's not here is a classic Italian dish, 620 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:56,960 spaghetti bolognese. 621 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,560 That's not Italian - that's British. 622 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:04,160 No, surely that's as Italian as it comes. Spaghetti bolognese! 623 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,920 You would never find someone in Italy eating spaghetti bolognese. 624 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,840 Never. 625 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:15,480 Italians traditionally pair bolognese or ragu sauce with the much thicker 626 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:21,680 ribbon pasta tagliatelle, saving spaghetti for sauces like carbonara. 627 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,760 I'm going to show you a proper ragu with tagliatelle. 628 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,720 Meanwhile, I'm determined to prove that spaghetti with bolognese is a 629 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:31,800 match made in heaven. 630 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:36,720 I'll show you how I make mine, and we'll compare notes. 631 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:38,480 VOICEOVER: Time for a cook-off. 632 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,840 So that is your version of... 633 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:00,360 This is the only version! 634 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:06,040 Pasta alla Cherry. Doesn't get more Italian than that, eh? 635 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:09,880 Oh, gosh. 636 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,200 Mmm. They taste really different. 637 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,760 The pasta has the flavour of the sauce. 638 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:22,240 Yeah, because it absorbed it. 639 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:28,920 So it's all about tagliatelle bolognese, not spaghetti bolognese. 640 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:30,000 Absolutely. 641 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,280 I think you may have won. 642 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:33,320 I know. 643 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:40,600 VOICEOVER: The tagliatelle wraps up the ragu so you get an even mix of both with 644 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:44,200 each mouthful, whereas the sauce falls off my spaghetti, 645 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:48,080 leaving me with a pile of bolognese at the bottom of my bowl. 646 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:54,240 I do now see you've got to get the right sauce with the right pasta, 647 00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:58,920 and I promise you I will never put meat sauce with spaghetti again. 648 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:02,520 I'm so proud of you - you make me such a happy lady! I've learnt so much! 649 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:17,520 Nearly 13 hours in, my spaghetti has been shaped and dried. 650 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:21,600 Now it's headed for the end of the production line, 651 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,600 where it will be cut down to size. 652 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,560 Right, so the pasta has been dried for ten hours, 653 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:29,680 and now it looks like that. 654 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:35,520 OK. We cut the head, we cut the end of the spaghetti, 655 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:40,640 and we cut the middle for the final length, in this way. 656 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:46,680 Traditionally, spaghetti was sold in 50-centimetre lengths, 657 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:51,360 but today to make it more practical for consumers, it's chopped to 25 centimetres. 658 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:57,000 Tell me. Why is it this length? 659 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,800 This is a perfect standard for cooking the pasta. 660 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:08,000 I want it smaller, so when it goes in the pan it can... 661 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:11,080 Because now the pan water is here, 662 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,000 and I have this - I have to push it. 663 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,240 I want it smaller. 664 00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:18,560 Piccola pasta. 665 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:22,960 No, this is the correct length for a good plate of spaghetti. 666 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:24,960 VOICEOVER: I'm not going to win this argument. 667 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:26,360 These people know their pasta. 668 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:31,600 Over in the research and development lab, 669 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:36,000 Chiara Negroni is showing me how every product is thoroughly tested on a 670 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:40,280 small scale before it can graduate to the factory's production lines. 671 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:44,000 So we are preparing a new product. 672 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,320 Tortellini is not new. 673 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,760 But the recipe inside is new. 674 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:53,640 OK. The filling is made with tomato and pork meat. 675 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:55,440 Can I try to make it? Yes. 676 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:59,440 Come on! VOICEOVER: Time for me to show everyone what I can do. 677 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,240 I make tortellini. 678 00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:02,640 Your own? Si. 679 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:06,080 My wife, she showed me how to make tortellini. 680 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:09,120 OK. 681 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:12,800 No acqua - no water? 682 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:14,240 No, no, no. 683 00:41:14,240 --> 00:41:15,280 Oh, OK. 684 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:18,920 Bene, buono? 685 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:21,680 Molto bene. What do you do with these fingers? 686 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:25,320 You're doing something with these... You're bending it over like that. 687 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:32,000 A new kind of shape. 688 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:33,720 Un'altro, un'altro! 689 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:37,680 Voila. 690 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,440 GREGG MIMICS A TRUMPET 691 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:45,240 VOICEOVER: Every new recipe is put through a mini production line, 692 00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:48,880 to check it can be produced on an industrial scale. 693 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,000 Chiara is very bravely letting me help. 694 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:55,840 You take the pasta, and then you put it inside. 695 00:41:56,960 --> 00:41:58,000 Stand back. 696 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:00,720 OK. OK, OK. 697 00:42:00,720 --> 00:42:05,280 It's very fast work normally, because the pasta is something... 698 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:06,400 Uh-oh, uh-oh! 699 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,280 Whoa! No problem. 700 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,200 OK. This is the pasta. 701 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,040 The filling is inside. 702 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:14,960 In there? OK. 703 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:20,280 No! 704 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:22,000 What is that? 705 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:25,520 It's like magic! 706 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,880 The right shape of tortellini. 707 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:28,920 Don't laugh at me! 708 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:33,840 I love this! 709 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:36,600 I want one at home. 710 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:43,160 The tortellini is then pasteurised and partially dried before emerging 711 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:44,760 at the end of the conveyor. 712 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:46,320 Hey! 713 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:49,560 This is the final product. 714 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:51,640 There they are. Beautiful! 715 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:55,280 Now, what happens now with this experiment? 716 00:42:55,280 --> 00:43:00,400 We need to taste it with the people, and then if the people like, 717 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:01,960 we produce them. 718 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:03,040 It's for me? Yes. 719 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:11,480 Well! Grazie. Ciao! 720 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,760 It can take several months before a new product is ready for mass 721 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,520 production, and only one in three make it that far. 722 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:24,920 But once it does, a huge customer base awaits. 723 00:43:26,720 --> 00:43:32,200 We spend over £5 billion a year on pizza, pasta and other favourites. 724 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:36,360 Ruth has been finding out where our passion for Italian food started. 725 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:41,160 According to the latest figures, 726 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:47,560 there are 4,735 Italian restaurants currently operating in Britain. 727 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:52,120 But just post-war, there were only a handful. 728 00:43:55,240 --> 00:43:58,480 So how did we fall in love with Italian food? 729 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,120 Well, it all began here, in London's Soho. 730 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:08,680 In the late 1940s London's Italian community moved into Soho, 731 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:10,720 centring around Frith Street. 732 00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:17,680 The Polledri family set up their cafe, Bar Italia, in 1949. 733 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:21,680 Grandson Antonio runs it today. 734 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:25,920 Wow. Has it changed much at all? 735 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:29,960 Well, since it was opened in 1949, nothing's changed really. 736 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:32,760 It has that feel. Very little has changed. 737 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:34,440 The formica is still as it was. 738 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:38,560 The Gaggia coffee machine is virtually still as it was. 739 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:39,720 I mean, why here? 740 00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:41,800 My grandparents came from Italy. 741 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,080 They saw an opportunity for good coffee, 742 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:46,440 but also as a social centre in the heart of Soho, 743 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:49,680 which was predominantly Italians at the time. 744 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:51,680 So it was a really, really Italian area? 745 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:53,680 Massive. It was called Little Italy. 746 00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:01,200 There were 15,000 Italians living in London in 1951. 747 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,880 Many working in the West End as waiters in French restaurants. 748 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,080 But in the 1950s they started to open up their own, 749 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:12,200 relaxed Italian trattoria-style eateries. 750 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:17,640 This is the Soho directory for 1958. 751 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:22,000 And you can see, there's quite a lot of Italian restaurants being listed. 752 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:29,240 In fact, there were a total of 13 in just five streets. 753 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:32,480 This was Gennaro's. 754 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:33,800 And in here it says, 755 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,920 "The 50-year-old family restaurant 756 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:38,680 "with a reputation for excellent Italian food 757 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:42,760 "and a charming tradition of presenting a flower to ladies at dinner." 758 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:48,480 So this is Frith Street. 759 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:51,000 So there were two side-by-side here. 760 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:52,680 Even the building's gone. 761 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,040 And next door, well, it is still a restaurant. 762 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,480 It's not an Italian any more. It's a burger place now. 763 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:02,000 Most of the original restaurants have long gone. 764 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,680 But there is one restaurant that not only survived and thrived, 765 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:12,080 but became the first of the mass-market Italian restaurant chains. 766 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:21,880 Spaghetti House in Goodge Street opened its doors in September 1955. 767 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:23,240 Hello. 768 00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:26,520 VOICEOVER: Luigi Lavarini, the son of one of the original owners, 769 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:28,080 runs the restaurant chain today. 770 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:31,600 How did the Spaghetti House come about? 771 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:33,400 My father and my uncle met in 772 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:35,800 Bar Italia and came up with the name, 773 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,600 Spaghetti House. How old were you when the restaurant opened? 774 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:41,800 I was six months old. 775 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:42,840 So I was there. 776 00:46:44,160 --> 00:46:45,320 As a child I remember, 777 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:47,880 always an exciting and buzzing atmosphere in the restaurant. 778 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:51,000 Was it? People would eat close together on small tables. 779 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:52,400 There would be queues outside. 780 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,520 And what sort of food was being served back in 1955? 781 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:57,600 If we look here... Oh, this is your early menu. 782 00:46:57,600 --> 00:46:59,400 This goes right back to the beginning. 783 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:02,200 I can't help but notice that spaghetti takes pride of place. 784 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:03,960 Spaghetti Bolognese. 785 00:47:03,960 --> 00:47:07,880 VOICEOVER: Spag bol might not have been an authentic Italian dish but it was 786 00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:10,760 what British people wanted to see on the menu. 787 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:12,680 They felt transported to Italy. 788 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:20,920 All things Italian became cool. 789 00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:23,200 Italian style, fashionable. 790 00:47:24,320 --> 00:47:27,720 So, spaghetti in London became hip, even glamorous. 791 00:47:27,720 --> 00:47:29,520 Why do you think it was spaghetti 792 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:32,360 that caught people's imagination in particular? 793 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:34,120 It's fiddly, isn't it, to eat. 794 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,880 It was quite a sophisticated thing to know how to twiddle... 795 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:40,720 Oh, I see. ..spaghetti. 796 00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:43,600 So you could take your girlfriend to the Spaghetti House and show off 797 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:46,000 your... Show off your skills. Cosmopolitan. 798 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,200 She would have been impressed. Yeah. 799 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:55,400 The following decade saw Italian restaurants opening right across the country. 800 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:59,480 Affordable food and friendly hospitality was a winning combination 801 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:01,400 that taught us to enjoy eating out. 802 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:04,720 Oh! Wonderful. 803 00:48:04,720 --> 00:48:06,040 Buon appetito. 804 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:10,080 And our relationship with Italian food is a love affair that has stood 805 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:11,120 the test of time. 806 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:16,440 Just think how different British high streets would be if, 60 years ago, 807 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:20,760 the Italians of Soho had not shared their cooking with us. 808 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:35,880 It's taken 13 hours to get my spaghetti to this stage. 809 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,520 And now it's heading for the packaging area. 810 00:48:42,280 --> 00:48:45,560 It arrives on an overhead conveyor 811 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:50,120 and is fed down through this machine which weighs it out into rotating 812 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:51,160 metal pockets. 813 00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:54,800 This is the packaging machine. 814 00:48:55,840 --> 00:49:00,120 The correct weight for the pack, in this case 500g. 815 00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:06,240 And we use this part for introducing the correct quantity of the product, OK. 816 00:49:06,240 --> 00:49:10,840 So, upstairs, this is weighing the 500g? 817 00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:13,840 And then it's dropping down into this. 818 00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:17,400 And moving it... It continues weighing. 819 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:20,400 This looks like bambino uccelli. 820 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:22,720 Oh, OK. Like a baby bird. 821 00:49:22,720 --> 00:49:24,640 It's like... 822 00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:25,680 Yeah. 823 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,320 Finally, it's ready to go into a box. 824 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:32,800 The finished product. 825 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:35,040 And do you know what I do, I take it out and I cut it in half. 826 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:37,200 OK. To make it the right size. 827 00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:40,880 I'm not gonna score any brownie points with that sort of behaviour. 828 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:44,360 But I am going to put the right accompaniment with my spaghetti. 829 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:48,000 Pesto is another of our favourite pasta sauces. 830 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:50,800 In fact, we spend £45 million on the stuff. 831 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:52,920 Cherry has been to see it made. 832 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:03,240 This classic green pesto has one herb at its heart. 833 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:04,280 Basil. 834 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:09,840 The word pesto means to pound. 835 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:17,120 Fresh basil leaves are crushed with pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil. 836 00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:19,960 But the problem is, that when they're cut, 837 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:22,480 they quickly turn black and lose their flavour. 838 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:29,760 So how do you harvest basil and make pesto on an industrial scale that's 839 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:32,720 going to last over a year in a sealed bottle? 840 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:40,680 Here, in northern Italy, they harvest at dawn 841 00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:44,080 when the delicate leaves are cool and packed with flavour. 842 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:51,760 The harvester is cutting the top of the basil at a set height, 843 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:54,360 collecting it up into the back. 844 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:02,240 By 8am they collect 20 tonnes of basil. 845 00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:08,240 The boxed up leaves are then transported in a refrigerated lorry for 846 00:51:08,240 --> 00:51:12,320 12 miles to the pesto making factory. 847 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:18,680 The man responsible for turning the fresh herb into pesto is Marco Ciacelli. 848 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:20,680 It's really green and fantastic. 849 00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:24,200 It's beautiful. Now, we test the temperature. 850 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:25,800 What is the right temperature? 851 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:27,800 In this case it's 21 degrees. 852 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:30,360 What happens if the temperature is more? 853 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:33,760 The basil became black very, very fast. 854 00:51:33,760 --> 00:51:36,880 So, if the basil goes black, the flavour isn't there? 855 00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:38,800 Yes, is not enough, is not correct. 856 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:40,440 It's a high maintenance herb. 857 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:41,480 Yeah, yeah. 858 00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:48,680 My basil leaves get three washes in fresh cold water. 859 00:51:48,680 --> 00:51:49,720 OK, let's go. 860 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:55,320 Once to remove stones, 861 00:51:56,600 --> 00:51:58,080 once to remove insects. 862 00:51:58,080 --> 00:52:00,360 And once for luck. 863 00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:06,040 Any rogue black leaves are discarded. 864 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:07,200 Most of them are green. 865 00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:08,560 There's hardly any black. 866 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:11,800 Oh, look, there's one. Ah! 867 00:52:11,800 --> 00:52:12,840 Hurray! 868 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:18,560 VOICEOVER: Then, they're steamed for a few minutes to stop the enzymes in the basil 869 00:52:18,560 --> 00:52:21,080 from oxidising and turning the leaves black. 870 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:26,720 And finally, seasoned with a mix of salt and sunflower oil. 871 00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:30,000 Now, I need to add the cheese. 872 00:52:31,040 --> 00:52:34,920 With the help of the vacuum grip liftronic manipulator. 873 00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:37,760 Oh, wow! 874 00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:45,800 It is more than 30kg. 875 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:49,520 This is 30kg and it feels like it weighs nothing. 876 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:54,720 This enormous wheel of Grana Padano cheese is similar to Parmesan. 877 00:52:54,720 --> 00:52:57,640 It's like a really odd video game. 878 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:02,320 OK. OK, press this one. 879 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:03,680 OK, thank you. 880 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:08,520 Oh, wow. And this is an industrial-sized cheese grater... 881 00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:10,480 And off we go. 882 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:14,760 That can grate the whole cheese in under 60 seconds. 883 00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:16,720 It's a fountain of cheese. 884 00:53:16,720 --> 00:53:19,200 Yes. This is my spiritual home. 885 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:20,240 OK. 886 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:26,960 VOICEOVER: Traditionally, pesto contains 7-10% pine nuts, but here, 887 00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:28,800 they use cashews instead. 888 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:32,960 Why do you use cashews and not pine nuts? 889 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:38,200 With the cashew, we maintain for a long time the shelf life of our product. 890 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:40,560 But does it change the taste? 891 00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:46,800 No, the taste of the cashew and the pine nuts is very, very close. 892 00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:50,160 Less than three hours after we harvested the basil, 893 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:52,560 it's combined with more sunflower oil, 894 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:56,520 cheese and cashews in three giant mixing bowls. 895 00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:03,440 How long does the pesto now mix? 896 00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:05,800 OK, for five minutes. 897 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:06,960 For only five minutes? 898 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:10,400 Yes. Only five minutes and after that we are ready for the filling. 899 00:54:13,080 --> 00:54:15,040 Once the pesto is in the jars, 900 00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:20,000 it's pasteurised by heating it to over 90 degrees for up to eight minutes. 901 00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:25,320 This kills the bacteria and gives it a shelf life of 18 months. 902 00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:31,160 The whole process can be completed within five hours of the harvest. 903 00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:33,200 It's hard to believe it's natural. 904 00:54:33,200 --> 00:54:36,320 It's so green and bright. 905 00:54:36,320 --> 00:54:40,280 We never use any preservatives. 906 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:43,320 Nothing. Only natural ingredients. 907 00:54:43,320 --> 00:54:45,640 Justa like-a mamma used to make! 908 00:54:45,640 --> 00:54:46,680 Fantastic. 909 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:52,080 Locked in a jar, the colours of the Italian countryside. 910 00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:03,960 Ten minutes after it left the production line, 911 00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:08,400 my spaghetti is safely tucked into a carton of 25 packs. 912 00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:15,440 It has travelled five and a half miles through the factory 913 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:17,720 and now it's on its final leg of the journey, 914 00:55:17,720 --> 00:55:22,200 to the distribution warehouse and into the arms of a robot. 915 00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:28,320 It takes 54 laser-guided vehicles to keep things moving in the world's 916 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,320 biggest pasta distribution centre. 917 00:55:31,680 --> 00:55:36,440 They work nonstop to shift 10,000 pallets in 24 hours. 918 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:41,760 Keeping them on track is Lee Mamadou. 919 00:55:41,760 --> 00:55:44,840 When I was a child, I would watch films 920 00:55:45,880 --> 00:55:50,200 of the future. This is what it looked like in the movies. 921 00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:51,960 This is science fiction. 922 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:55,720 Yeah, at that time, it was science fiction, it was a kind of dream. 923 00:55:55,720 --> 00:55:57,880 But now, the dream has become reality. 924 00:55:58,880 --> 00:56:00,680 I like them. Yeah, me too. 925 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:01,720 But they scare me. 926 00:56:02,840 --> 00:56:04,720 That one? 927 00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:06,520 It's looking at me funny. 928 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:09,960 Yeah. But, it doesn't do you harm. 929 00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:12,640 I don't want to be the first victim of the robot. 930 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:15,880 No, you will never be the first victim. Don't worry. 931 00:56:17,360 --> 00:56:21,000 Thankfully, the robots are being controlled from a central computer. 932 00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:24,760 The moving squares are the robots? 933 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:28,000 Yeah. Why are some blue? 934 00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,000 They are blue because they are on mission. 935 00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:31,920 They are doing their work. 936 00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:34,800 So, a green one is on its way to a mission? 937 00:56:34,800 --> 00:56:36,480 Yeah. A blue one has a mission? 938 00:56:36,480 --> 00:56:38,600 Yeah. Why are some red? 939 00:56:38,600 --> 00:56:42,640 It has a problem. VOICEOVER: And when there's a problem, 940 00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:45,920 men on tricycles ride to the rescue. 941 00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:48,040 So, you have all this technology, 942 00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:53,000 you have space age robots and they are fixed by men on tricycles. 943 00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:54,960 I find that very comforting. 944 00:56:57,360 --> 00:56:59,840 From this distribution centre, 945 00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:03,720 1,100 tonnes of pasta are sent out every day. 946 00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:06,200 65% of it is exported. 947 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:11,720 Enough heads to the UK to make 30 million plates of pasta. 948 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:16,600 The rest travels to 120 countries across all seven continents. 949 00:57:19,120 --> 00:57:20,840 This place is amazing. 950 00:57:20,840 --> 00:57:24,000 I mean, look around. They've got state-of-the-art technology, 951 00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:27,600 they've got enormous yellow robots moving boxes around, 952 00:57:27,600 --> 00:57:29,720 they export all over the globe. 953 00:57:29,720 --> 00:57:31,320 And what is it? 954 00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:34,720 It is a simple mixture of semolina and water. 955 00:57:34,720 --> 00:57:36,160 Isn't that amazing? 956 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:41,560 Arrivederci. 957 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:47,360 After 14 hours of processing, 958 00:57:48,360 --> 00:57:51,680 my spaghetti is making its way out into the world 959 00:57:53,560 --> 00:57:55,880 and onto the shelves of a shop near you. 960 00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:05,160 Next time, we'll take you inside Europe's biggest biscuit factory... 961 00:58:05,160 --> 00:58:07,960 It's a constant waterfall of chocolate biscuits. 962 00:58:07,960 --> 00:58:11,520 That makes 18 million biscuits every 24 hours. 963 00:58:13,920 --> 00:58:17,280 We'll reveal the technology behind the chocolate digestive. 964 00:58:17,280 --> 00:58:19,920 Oh, my word! Who designs this stuff? 965 00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:23,920 And Cherry's making a very expensive biscuit-cutter from thousands of 966 00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:25,920 pounds worth of bronze. 967 00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:27,440 It's a thing of beauty.