0:00:02 > 0:00:07For the first time, Inside The Factory goes overseas.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09We are in Parma, Italy,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12to discover the secrets of one of our favourite foods.
0:00:14 > 0:00:20Every year in the UK, we eat nearly 1.5 billion bowls of pasta.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26We've come to the largest dried pasta factory in the world.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29In fact, it's so big they get around on bicycles!
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And, tonight, they are letting us inside.
0:00:34 > 0:00:3860% of the pasta made in Italy comes out of this factory.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42And, every year, 3,000 tonnes of it end up in the UK.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46I'm Gregg Wallace.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- Tutti spaghetti!- It's a waterfall!
0:00:49 > 0:00:55And I'm learning how they make 150,000 kilometres of spaghetti every day.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It's like a jungle in here.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02I'll come face-to-face with the amazing technology behind more than
0:01:02 > 0:01:03100 pasta shapes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Every single wheel is one more pasta shape.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And discover how they've super-sized traditional methods to deliver
0:01:11 > 0:01:13almost a tonne every minute.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It's like a clothes line.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17It's like putting out the washing to dry.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23I'm Cherry Healey and I'll be on a race against time, following the
0:01:23 > 0:01:26journey of this delicate herb, basil.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30From field to a jar of pesto in just five hours.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33It's like a really odd video game.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37And I'll learn the secrets of cooking and serving perfect pasta.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42So, it's all about keeping the sauce on the pasta?
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And historian Ruth Goodman discovers that pasta's been on British menus
0:01:46 > 0:01:47for longer than you'd think.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51That's a long time ago, isn't it, 1390.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53In the next 24 hours,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57over 1,000 tonnes of pasta will fly out of this factory.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02We're going to show you how they manage production on such an epic scale.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Welcome to Inside The Factory.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Behind me is the Barilla pasta factory in Parma, Italy.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The size of 100 football pitches,
0:02:26 > 0:02:32it churns out 330,000 tonnes of pasta every year.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38That's enough to make three billion plates of pasta.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43They produce 110 different types.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But tonight I'm going to follow this wheat as it is transformed into the
0:02:47 > 0:02:50world's favourite dried pasta, spaghetti.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58It all begins with a very impressive delivery.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Gianluca Allodi is seeing it in from Ravenna, 100 miles away.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09That is enormous.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10How long is that train?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12500 metres.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14500 metres?!
0:03:15 > 0:03:18That is very, very impressive.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20And a little bit scary.
0:03:22 > 0:03:29This train's 20 freight cars are bringing in 1,150 tonnes of wheat.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Are we ready to unload?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:03:36 > 0:03:39This is the key ingredient for pasta.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And it's where my spaghetti production line begins.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It falls on the floor!
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Of course it does!
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It drops through grates on to underground conveyor belts which
0:03:53 > 0:03:56whizz it across to these temperature controlled storage silos.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Together they hold 600,000 tonnes.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03To unload...
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- Yes?- How long it take?
0:04:05 > 0:04:0720 minutes per carriage.
0:04:07 > 0:04:1120 minutes each carriage?
0:04:11 > 0:04:12They'll be here all day!
0:04:12 > 0:04:15No, will be around eight hours.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17That's a whole day.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19In England, that is a whole day.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Eight hours.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24VOICEOVER: Besides water, this is
0:04:24 > 0:04:26the only ingredient in this factory's dried pasta,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28so they take it pretty seriously.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- It is our gold.- Your gold?
0:04:33 > 0:04:39- Yes.- I have been looking at factories for three years... Tre anni.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44I have never, ever seen anything like this.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46This is incredible.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Two monster deliveries like this come in every week.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54But before the wheat's cleared to go any further,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56it's held for eight hours of quality checks.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Then it's sent on its way.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04From the silos, it heads to the
0:05:05 > 0:05:08on-site mill. Travelling the 200 metres on overhead conveyors.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11With Gianluca and me in hot pursuit.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19This seven-story mill is one of the biggest of its type in the world.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22As soon as the wheat arrives,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26every single grain gets a once over to check it's up to scratch.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30This is the optical sorter machine.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- It's looking?- Yes.- It can see?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's looking at every kernel.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And it decides to remove it or not.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45This machine's digital camera scans 34,000 kernels a second.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50It identifies and rejects any that are broken or discoloured.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53The machine removed this?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Yes, because they are black.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58How does it remove...?
0:05:58 > 0:06:03By air compressor, a little bit blows, removes, one by one.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Solo minuto, solo minuto.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07The machine can see...
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- In a fraction of a second. - And if it's not perfect,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13it shoots it with a jet of air?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Absolutely, yes.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Absolutely.- Really?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Now everything has to stop while the wheat is soaked in water
0:06:26 > 0:06:27for 30 hours.
0:06:27 > 0:06:33Meanwhile, Cherry's been finding out about the special variety they use here.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It's called durum wheat.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43I'm at the factory's research lab where the twice-named Alessandro D'Alessandro
0:06:43 > 0:06:45is filling me in.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Hi, Cherry, how are you?- Good to meet you.- Come with me.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53- VOICEOVER:- I want to know why durum wheat is so perfectly suited to making pasta,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and what makes it different from ordinary wheat.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58And here we are.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02In this way I will explain a little bit more about durum
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and common wheat.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08If, in summer, you go in a field of common wheat, you'll see this kind.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13So, that is regular wheat that would make bread, pastry,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15the kind of thing I'd have in my cupboard at home?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Yes, perfect. - And that is durum wheat?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20So, it does look pretty different.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Italy grows more durum wheat than anywhere else in Europe.
0:07:27 > 0:07:315,000 square miles is devoted to the crop.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Every summer they harvest four million tonnes of it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And its main use is for making pasta.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42In Latin, durum means hard.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45So the grain in this is harder?
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- Yes.- VOICEOVER:- When you grind these two wheat varieties,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52they produce very different results.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55This is the white flour.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57This is absolutely what's in my cupboard at home.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- OK.- That is your regular flour.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Yes, coming from the common wheat.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05And try this.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09That is what you get when you mill durum wheat.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It's very granular.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13It's courser.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15The durum wheat is much more hard,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and it's much more difficult to mill.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18It's called semolina.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21That means semi-milled.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25To me, semolina is a pudding I used to have in the '80s.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32But, in fact, its primary function is to make pasta.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33- Pasta flour?- Absolutely.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Now we will prepare some dough.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- VOICEOVER:- When we turned these two flours into dough,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42they have very different properties.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Alessandro's is made from durum wheat semolina.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Mine from common wheat flour.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Now, using a machine that measures the elasticity of dough,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56we can see how they behave differently.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59First, the common wheat.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01I feel like we're making miniature pizzas.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- We close it.- OK.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08And, if you're able to see what happens now...
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Turn it...
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Wow!- It inflates, it's very elastic.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Look how big it is.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18OK, so, that's the kind of size that you can get?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Yes.- And it looks thin.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Thin and stretchy.- Not so strong.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27The reason why you can use it for pizza, for example.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Because you can stretch it far.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- VOICEOVER:- Now to try the durum wheat dough.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36This is the closest I'll get to Italian cooking, I reckon.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Is that down?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- See what happens.- So, it looks much thicker.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Yes.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The dimension of this one is more like this.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51So, the durum wheat is less stretchy and much more strong?
0:09:51 > 0:09:57Yes. And that's what we need for the pasta cooking process.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- VOICEOVER:- But I want to know what happens when you turn these
0:10:00 > 0:10:02two kinds of dough into pasta.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05This is pasta made from common wheat.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09And this is your classic durum wheat pasta?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- It is.- In together?- Yes.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Three, two, one...
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Go.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Why is there a layer of foam and bubbles in this one?
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Here, the starch is released in the cooking water.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33So, that's all the starch coming out of the pasta.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Whereas the stronger durum wheat holds the starch in
0:10:37 > 0:10:41meaning the pasta keeps its shape and the water stays clear.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But how does this affect the taste?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46First, the common wheat pasta.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52Right, my gosh. Yeah, it's really sticky and mulchy.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Buon appetito.- Buon appetito.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It tastes slimy.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06And it's left an unpleasant coating in my mouth.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Is that all the starch still coming out?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Yeah. Let's try the durum pasta.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14OK. I'm not doing this well.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17This is why you don't eat spaghetti on a first date.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18OK.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Much nicer to eat.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Not slimy.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Not sticky. Definitely I can see why the durum wheat is preferable when
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- making pasta.- It's clear now, huh?
0:11:30 > 0:11:31Absolutely.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Durum wheat's semolina guarantees a high-quality product and most of the
0:11:37 > 0:11:40dried pasta we buy in the UK is made from it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Back at the mill, the durum wheat is ready to
0:11:49 > 0:11:51be turned into semolina.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53This is an incredible room.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Yes, our spider room.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02This astonishing 3.5 mile long web of steel pipes connects the seven
0:12:02 > 0:12:06stories of the building and every stage of the milling process.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Right now my wheat is shooting through here
0:12:11 > 0:12:14on its way to the first floor.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19- What is happening?- Here, we start our grinding process.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25So, the wheat goes down and two cylinders, two wheels crush?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Crush in the right way.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- I can show you the result. - Yes, please. Per favore.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37The coarse outer bran is cracked open to release the pale,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39yellow endosperm.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The part we need to make semolina.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44How do you separate?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Let me show you.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54This is our semolina.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Yes, but you can't shake everything with your hand.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Not exactly.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04We have special machines to do that.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13What is that!
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Many, many hands.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It's like one great big sieve.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Yes. Exactly.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26In fact, it is 26 sieves stacked on top of one another.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Our crushed kernels are piped in at the top,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33then descend through increasingly finer sieves,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35which separate the endosperm from the bran.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41There are eight of these bizarre machines.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45They process 34 tonnes of wheat an hour.
0:13:45 > 0:13:4724-hours a day,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49seven days a week.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52That is fantastic and funny.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59How long does it take?
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- A few seconds.- A few seconds?
0:14:03 > 0:14:07A few seconds from there to here.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08- Can I see?- Yes.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16This is bran.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20This is almost semolina.
0:14:20 > 0:14:26We have black and brown specks inside and we have to take out these.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28VOICEOVER: I can't see any specks.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32But these machines will keep sieving it until it's perfectly yellow.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37And they're so concerned about quality
0:14:37 > 0:14:40they send it off for yet another round of checks
0:14:40 > 0:14:42before it's released to
0:14:42 > 0:14:44the next stage of the production process.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We've made our semolina, now we're ready to make spaghetti.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52But when I was a boy it was an exotic dish.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Ruth Goodman's delving back into our pasta history,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59beginning with a famous hoax.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03In 1957, the BBC ran a short news report about
0:15:03 > 0:15:05the spaghetti harvest featuring a
0:15:05 > 0:15:09family harvesting fresh spaghetti...
0:15:09 > 0:15:10from trees.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18After picking, the spaghetti is laid out to dry in the warm Alpine sun.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24It was the ultimate April fool, a yearly tradition for broadcasters.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29And this one relied on how little was known about pasta
0:15:29 > 0:15:30in 1950s Britain.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35So, when did the first pasta appear in the UK?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41In the archives of the British Library,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44food historian Polly Russell has been searching for the answer.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51This is Eliza Acton's first edition Modern Cookery, from 1845.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54And right from the first edition,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59you see that you have pasta being served on its own for ordinary
0:15:59 > 0:16:01middle-class families.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03That's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Victorians eating pasta is surprising,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08but Polly's discovered a reference
0:16:08 > 0:16:12that's much earlier in this precious manuscript.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It just looks so small.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16It's amazing, isn't it?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19This little old scroll is the Forme Of Cury.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21Look at that.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26- VOICEOVER:- A cookbook written in 1390 for King Richard II.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31This may be the first version of pasta or a pasta dish
0:16:31 > 0:16:34in the English language, back to 1390.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38It's a long time ago, isn't it, 1390.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And we really think this is a pasta recipe.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44When you look at what they are describing,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46both in terms of what to do and the ingredients,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49it really suggests this is a prototype pasta.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54This recipe is written in Middle English.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56"Take flour...
0:16:56 > 0:16:57"Flour of pandemain."
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- I think that's white flour.- Yes, very finely milled, white flour.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05"And make thereof thin foils as paper."
0:17:06 > 0:17:08So, just like lasagne.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Leaves of pasta.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11The leaves of pasta!
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I suppose the only real way of knowing...
0:17:14 > 0:17:15Is to cook it up.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- VOICEOVER:- 627 years after it was written,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21we're going to try this recipe out.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26"Take flour of pandemain."
0:17:26 > 0:17:28There's no eggs, are there, it's just water.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31No, it doesn't say anything about how long we should knead it
0:17:31 > 0:17:32or work it or anything.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35This has been written for somebody who already knows what
0:17:35 > 0:17:37they're doing.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41"With roller. Take thin foils, as thin as paper."
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- That's not bad.- That's paper-thin.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49And then we've got to "dry it hard."
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Which I think that must mean in the bottom of the oven.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Very medieval, that.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57"Seethe it in the broth."
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Okey doke.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05"Then take cheese and lay it in the dish with poudre douce."
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Poudre douce is a mixture of
0:18:07 > 0:18:09ginger and cinnamon.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So it will have a sweetish savoury taste.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16There's no mention of putting that in the oven.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I don't think that is fit for a king's table.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22For me, that just has to go in an oven.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24We're sticking it in the oven.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29This certainly looks like pasta.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32But how did this recipe end up in an
0:18:32 > 0:18:35English king's 14th century cookbook?
0:18:35 > 0:18:40It is probable that the Arabs brought pasta with them in the ninth century
0:18:40 > 0:18:43through southern Europe, starting in Sicily.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46And pasta may have moved up with William the Conqueror.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51I mean, the link is really close because the Normans invade Sicily
0:18:51 > 0:18:55in 1060, and they invade Britain 1066.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59So, the Arabs bring pasta to southern Europe?
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- Yes.- And then the Normans bring it up to us?
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Quite possibly.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Well, it looks like pasta.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11Yes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- That's nicer than I was expecting, actually.- It's very nice.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Better than it looks. They were definitely onto something.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I think we can very safely say this is a pasta dish.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29The master cooks knew what they were doing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- VOICEOVER:- So, it turns out pasta's been in the UK for six centuries.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39A food that once graced a king's table, is now an everyday favourite.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Back at the factory,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54my freshly ground semolina is travelling from the mill,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57300 metres underground, to the production area.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Claudio Dallagiacomo is the boss on the production line.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04You must make a lot of spaghetti.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Six tonnes per hour of spaghetti.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07Six tonnes every hour?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Every hour.- You show me how to make spaghetti?
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Absolutely, absolutely.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17My semolina comes through this hopper and is fed downwards into a
0:20:17 > 0:20:21high-speed mixer where it is combined with water to make dough.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26We use only semolina and water.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30When I make pasta at home, I use an egg.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Semolina and water only.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33- Nothing else?- Nothing.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Don't lie to me!
0:20:35 > 0:20:37And how long will it mix?
0:20:38 > 0:20:4020 minuti.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Perfect, your Italian language is perfect.
0:20:46 > 0:20:482.5 hours into the process,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52my dough is mixed and is ready to be transformed into spaghetti.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55With the help of some clever bits of kit.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Oh, OK.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02OK, this is your die, your mould.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05The dough gets pushed through here?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08For every hole, we take one spaghetti.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11VOICEOVER: Two blocks of dies are mounted in this machine.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16The dough is pushed through at 100 times normal air pressure, creating
0:21:16 > 0:21:2011,000 individual strands of spaghetti.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Wow! Wow!
0:21:24 > 0:21:26This is spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Tutti spaghetti!
0:21:28 > 0:21:33In just one minute, the machine produces 52 miles of spaghetti.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Enough to stretch from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- Can I touch?- Absolutely.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43VOICEOVER: Don't worry, I washed my hands thoroughly before I came in.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45It's constantly moving.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48- Fantastic.- Fantastic.
0:21:49 > 0:21:50It's a waterfall.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53As the spaghetti descends,
0:21:53 > 0:21:58it's looped over moving rails and cut into 65 centimetre sections.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04You have row upon row upon row of spaghetti hanging.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10You are cutting through, well, five or six lines of spaghetti here.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Exactly.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18I like it. What happens to all the small spaghetti that is cut off?
0:22:18 > 0:22:23Very, very important, we recycle this product and we use it in the mix.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27So, the small spaghetti you cut goes back upstairs to the mix?
0:22:27 > 0:22:32- Exactly.- VOICEOVER: At this stage, my raw spaghetti is 30% water.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It feels really spongy, really springy and bouncy.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39Can I try?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Good?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Very chewy. It goes like...
0:22:48 > 0:22:49Like chewing gum.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Next, my pasta moves on to the drying area.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- It's like a clothes line, it's like putting out the washing to dry. - Exactly.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Traditionally, spaghetti would have been hung in the open air for three
0:23:05 > 0:23:09days to be dried by a warm summer breeze.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But here things are a little more hi-tech.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Oh, my word, that is enormous!
0:23:16 > 0:23:18That is just huge.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19This is the drying equipment.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24VOICEOVER: My spaghetti now begins a 10-hour journey through what is basically a
0:23:24 > 0:23:25super-sized sauna.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Very hot, hey?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It's like a jungle in here!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It's hot and it is damp and sticky.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36What temperature is this?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38About 70 degrees. 70-75 degrees.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41I feel like I am the spaghetti.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45The heat dries the spaghetti
0:23:45 > 0:23:48sucking out 10% of its moisture in the first hour.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Very, very hot. Heh, heh.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Yeah, that is hot. Can we get out of the oven, please?
0:23:59 > 0:24:00So, that is stage one?
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Over the next nine hours,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08the spaghetti snakes through the dryer and three more levels of heat,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13taking the moisture level right down to the ideal 12.5%.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It's a slow, gentle process that ensures
0:24:16 > 0:24:19the spaghetti won't crack when it is cooked.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24But it's missing one crucial ingredient, a sauce to go with it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Spag bol is second only to a roast dinner on Britain's list of favourite
0:24:29 > 0:24:33family meals but how is Bolognese sauce produced?
0:24:33 > 0:24:34Cherry's been to find out.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Italy is Europe's biggest producer of tomatoes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47And the flat, fertile plains around Parma are studded with tomato plants.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Farmed outdoors in direct sunlight,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57this variety has been specially selected to be perfect for pasta sauce.
0:24:57 > 0:25:03The skin is very tough but they taste incredibly sweet and delicious.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05They need a thick skin to allow them to be
0:25:05 > 0:25:07mechanically processed and they
0:25:07 > 0:25:10are normally ripe and ready from July.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22The annual Italian tomato harvest is under way right now.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28That machine collects the whole plant, the leaves and the roots.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29I should probably get out of the way.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35The harvester swallows up the crop,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40shaking loose the tomatoes before sifting out any unwanted debris.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45And, in just one hour, the trailer can collect 15 tonnes.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48That's around 300,000 tomatoes.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54The full load is then taken from the farm by tractor and trailer to the
0:25:54 > 0:25:56giant tomato processing centre
0:26:00 > 0:26:03where I'm helping Giacoppa Calvi unload.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Whay!
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Oh, that's so fun.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- Do you want?- Definitely.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Whoa, that's really heavy.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Oh, my God, that's really heavy.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- VOICEOVER:- The jet of water pushes the tomatoes
0:26:17 > 0:26:19down and out of the bottom of the trailer.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Is this another reason why the tomatoes need to have a thick skin,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27because if you did this to regular tomatoes they'd turn into soup?
0:26:27 > 0:26:32- Yes.- VOICEOVER:- It takes half an hour to carefully wash them all through.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37Everything to do with farming requires so much patience.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40If you're a farmer, you have to be a good lover because you need some
0:26:40 > 0:26:42patience in your job.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45So, if you're a farmer, you're a good lover?
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Yes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- So Italian.- So Italian.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So Italian.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58The tomatoes bob happily along on a series of aqueducts, lifts,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and storage pools, which simultaneously clean
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and transport them.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Once inside, they are steamed to remove that extra thick skin
0:27:10 > 0:27:13before heading off to be cooked.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24This impressive mountain of gleaming steel is, essentially,
0:27:24 > 0:27:29a pressure cooker turning my tomato pulp into concentrate.
0:27:29 > 0:27:347kg of tomatoes reduce down into one kilogram of paste.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Oh, wow.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Then the drums of processed tomatoes travel six miles to another factory.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Where Gian Luigi Mason
0:27:46 > 0:27:48is adding the final ingredients.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Carotti in cubetti.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Correct. Carrots sliced into small cubes.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Beautiful, orangey goodness.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Onion and basil are added to the tomatoes and carrots and the whole
0:28:05 > 0:28:06lot simmers for an hour.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Wow. So, is that now finished?
0:28:11 > 0:28:17Yes. So, this is 3,000 litres of this sauce.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21How many bowls of pasta do you think I could make with this?
0:28:21 > 0:28:25I think around 12,000 dishes of pasta.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27That is one big dinner party.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34To bottle this much sauce requires a 42 head rotary volumetric filler
0:28:34 > 0:28:38running at six bottles a second.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Here it is.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45So, next time you whip up a spag bol or lasagne at home,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49just think about the incredible journey that humble tomato has had to go
0:28:49 > 0:28:52on to bring you an Italian feast.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07After nearly eight hours of careful processing,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10my spaghetti is now halfway through the dryer.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13But this isn't the only pasta that they produce here.
0:29:13 > 0:29:20On 18 other lines, they make an amazing 110 different shapes.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22From penne to lasagne sheets.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Alessandro Spadini is showing me the die wheels that create everyone of them.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35Wow. Every single one of these wheels is one more pasta shape?
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Exactly, Gregg.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Alessandro has a challenge for me.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Can I match the die to the pasta shape?
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Where do you think this shape comes from?
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- This is easy, right?- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Because, look, you've got the ribs here.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Give me another one.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55I have something a little bit more difficult.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Not the right direction, Gregg.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I don't know.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08This one is for fusilli.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- Why would that make that?- You see here three wings.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Oh, OK, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15What actually shows is the end.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17OK, give me another, give me another.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20This is very difficult. This is very small.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23That is like a beautiful little shell.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24- What is that called?- Gnochetti.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- Small gnocchi?- Exactly.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Gregg, what about this blade?
0:30:32 > 0:30:33- Really?- Really.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35- Just this?- Exactly.
0:30:35 > 0:30:36Yeah, yeah. So, it must come out...
0:30:36 > 0:30:37It must come out like this.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42So, it's always amazing.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45I'd like to see a pasta with the smooth head.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48- Like mine?- And glasses.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49Named Gregg, probably.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Greggio. Can I see one of these wheels working?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Sure you can. Let's go.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Come on. Andiamo.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02In the production area, the dies making bestsellers, like spaghetti,
0:31:02 > 0:31:03are in constant use.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08But die wheels making other shapes are only loaded when they're needed.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11Come here, Gregg.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18Oh! Today, this massive macaroni die is churning out
0:31:18 > 0:31:23enough for 230 packets every minute.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Pasta is flowing out of the die,
0:31:26 > 0:31:32and the knives continuously cut the pasta to obtain the right shape.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37- I'm watching 100 little worms coming down...- Being cut.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42That is lovely.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45This is running all the time?
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Yes. Continuously.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50It's a continuous process, so 24-hours a day.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Thousands of little worm macaroni every hour.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Well, you don't have the mouth big enough.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01Almost!
0:32:02 > 0:32:05From the production lines, popular shapes
0:32:05 > 0:32:08go straight into boxes and out to shops all over the world.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Others head to these storage silos,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17ready to be packed the instant an order comes in.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21It's very simple,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24because you just open the silo and
0:32:24 > 0:32:27it starts automatically to flow down,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29in order to continue filling the
0:32:29 > 0:32:32packaging machine without interruption.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34It's amazing, isn't it?
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Allesandro, how much pasta does one of these things hold?
0:32:38 > 0:32:40So it depends on the shape.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45As an average, it contains three tonnes of pasta. Each silo.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47And how long does it take to empty?
0:32:47 > 0:32:50It's very quick. Less than one hour.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56This is a nonstop system designed to satisfy a huge customer demand.
0:32:57 > 0:33:05This year, we have to produce 330,000 tonnes of pasta which are
0:33:05 > 0:33:09roughly four billion dishes of pasta.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11We can feed the world, roughly.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13I think I've eaten a billion of them.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21Macaroni is just one of many pasta shapes on our supermarket shelves.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24So how do you choose which one to buy?
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Cherry has been to sort out her farfalle from her fusilli.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37At home, I don't get to choose what pasta we have, my kids do.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41And it's normally pasta bows with tonnes of tomato sauce
0:33:41 > 0:33:47and gallons of cheese. I don't think that's what the Italians had in mind when they
0:33:47 > 0:33:49created all these beautiful pasta shapes.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55To find out what's so different about each variety,
0:33:55 > 0:33:56I've enlisted some help.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- Ciao, Silvana!- Ciao, Cherry.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- VOICEOVER:- Silvana Lanzetta from Naples is an expert on pasta.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04How many different types of pasta are there?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07We have over 350 pasta shapes.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08350?
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Over it, yes.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Why do I only ever eat one?
0:34:13 > 0:34:18Traditionally each region of Italy has its very own pasta.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21This one, for instance, they are spaghetti alla chitarra.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22Oh, so guitar pasta?
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Yes. Which come from Abruzzo, this area here.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30This pasta is called strozzapreti, from Bologna.
0:34:30 > 0:34:31This is so odd!
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Farfalle, pasta bow.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Oh, look! My favourite!
0:34:35 > 0:34:36- Your favourite?- Pasta bows.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39There you go. From Milano.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41Bucatini. They are spaghetti with a hole.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44A tiny hole all the way through it.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- From Rome.- What's this one called?
0:34:46 > 0:34:49These are called Angel Hair.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- Angel Hair?- Because they are so thin.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52They come from Sicily.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54And finally, orecchiette.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56The name means little ears.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Little ears!- Yeah, because the shape reminds a little bit of ears.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03But why bother with so many different shapes?
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Silvana, like most Italian cooks...
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Wow! Yes, please!
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Believes it's critical to match your shape to your sauce.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Does it really matter what sauce goes with pasta?
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- Of course it does!- But it's just flour and water - it's all the same,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26isn't it? It's just in different shapes for fun.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Indeed. No, it's not for fun - it's to carry the sauce.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Be careful, eh? Don't mess with Italians.- Is it not?
0:35:32 > 0:35:37- VOICEOVER:- In fact the design of each pasta shape has a huge effect on how it holds the sauce.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41You've got the fusilli - tuna and onion sauce.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42It fits the spirals.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Tuna has got right inside the ridges of the pasta.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Absolutely. You can see also the onions.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52They kind of twist themselves around the pasta.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- Yes.- OK, so shell pasta...
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Conchiglie. This is made with chunks of vegetables,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01that are held by the cup.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05So because this pasta is a bit bigger and it has a bigger scoop,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08you can put chunkier vegetables in that?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- Yes.- And my favourite - the bow pasta.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Farfalle, which means butterflies.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Butterflies? So in fact it's not a bow shape - it's a butterfly shape.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- Yes.- This is particularly good for a creamy cheesy sauce.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24The two scoops, the form, like basically two spoons.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28So it's all about keeping the sauce on the pasta?
0:36:28 > 0:36:33Absolutely. The pasta is a vessel to present your sauce.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40A good rule of thumb is to match large shapes with thick chunky sauces,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43and smaller shapes with thin or creamy sauces.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48But what about our favourite pasta dish?
0:36:48 > 0:36:55One of the pastas that's not here is a classic Italian dish,
0:36:55 > 0:36:56spaghetti bolognese.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59That's not Italian - that's British.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04No, surely that's as Italian as it comes. Spaghetti bolognese!
0:37:04 > 0:37:07You would never find someone in Italy eating spaghetti bolognese.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Never.
0:37:09 > 0:37:15Italians traditionally pair bolognese or ragu sauce with the much thicker
0:37:15 > 0:37:21ribbon pasta tagliatelle, saving spaghetti for sauces like carbonara.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25I'm going to show you a proper ragu with tagliatelle.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Meanwhile, I'm determined to prove that spaghetti with bolognese is a
0:37:29 > 0:37:31match made in heaven.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36I'll show you how I make mine, and we'll compare notes.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- VOICEOVER:- Time for a cook-off.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56So that is your version of...
0:37:56 > 0:38:00This is the only version!
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Pasta alla Cherry. Doesn't get more Italian than that, eh?
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Oh, gosh.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Mmm. They taste really different.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20The pasta has the flavour of the sauce.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Yeah, because it absorbed it.
0:38:22 > 0:38:28So it's all about tagliatelle bolognese, not spaghetti bolognese.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Absolutely.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I think you may have won.
0:38:32 > 0:38:33I know.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40- VOICEOVER:- The tagliatelle wraps up the ragu so you get an even mix of both with
0:38:40 > 0:38:44each mouthful, whereas the sauce falls off my spaghetti,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48leaving me with a pile of bolognese at the bottom of my bowl.
0:38:48 > 0:38:54I do now see you've got to get the right sauce with the right pasta,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58and I promise you I will never put meat sauce with spaghetti again.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02- I'm so proud of you - you make me such a happy lady!- I've learnt so much!
0:39:12 > 0:39:17Nearly 13 hours in, my spaghetti has been shaped and dried.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Now it's headed for the end of the production line,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23where it will be cut down to size.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Right, so the pasta has been dried for ten hours,
0:39:28 > 0:39:29and now it looks like that.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35OK. We cut the head, we cut the end of the spaghetti,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40and we cut the middle for the final length, in this way.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Traditionally, spaghetti was sold in 50-centimetre lengths,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51but today to make it more practical for consumers, it's chopped to 25 centimetres.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Tell me. Why is it this length?
0:39:57 > 0:40:00This is a perfect standard for cooking the pasta.
0:40:00 > 0:40:08I want it smaller, so when it goes in the pan it can...
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Because now the pan water is here,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15and I have this - I have to push it.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17I want it smaller.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Piccola pasta.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22No, this is the correct length for a good plate of spaghetti.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24VOICEOVER: I'm not going to win this argument.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26These people know their pasta.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Over in the research and development lab,
0:40:31 > 0:40:36Chiara Negroni is showing me how every product is thoroughly tested on a
0:40:36 > 0:40:40small scale before it can graduate to the factory's production lines.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44So we are preparing a new product.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Tortellini is not new.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48But the recipe inside is new.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53- OK.- The filling is made with tomato and pork meat.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- Can I try to make it?- Yes.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Come on! VOICEOVER: Time for me to show everyone what I can do.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01I make tortellini.
0:41:01 > 0:41:02- Your own?- Si.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06My wife, she showed me how to make tortellini.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09OK.
0:41:11 > 0:41:12No acqua - no water?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14No, no, no.
0:41:14 > 0:41:15Oh, OK.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18Bene, buono?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Molto bene.- What do you do with these fingers?
0:41:21 > 0:41:25You're doing something with these... You're bending it over like that.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32A new kind of shape.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33Un'altro, un'altro!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Voila.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39GREGG MIMICS A TRUMPET
0:41:41 > 0:41:45VOICEOVER: Every new recipe is put through a mini production line,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48to check it can be produced on an industrial scale.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Chiara is very bravely letting me help.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55You take the pasta, and then you put it inside.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Stand back.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00OK. OK, OK.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05It's very fast work normally, because the pasta is something...
0:42:05 > 0:42:06Uh-oh, uh-oh!
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Whoa! No problem.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- OK.- This is the pasta.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13The filling is inside.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14In there? OK.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20No!
0:42:20 > 0:42:22What is that?
0:42:24 > 0:42:25It's like magic!
0:42:25 > 0:42:27The right shape of tortellini.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Don't laugh at me!
0:42:32 > 0:42:33I love this!
0:42:35 > 0:42:36I want one at home.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43The tortellini is then pasteurised and partially dried before emerging
0:42:43 > 0:42:44at the end of the conveyor.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Hey!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49This is the final product.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51There they are. Beautiful!
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Now, what happens now with this experiment?
0:42:55 > 0:43:00We need to taste it with the people, and then if the people like,
0:43:00 > 0:43:01we produce them.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03- It's for me?- Yes.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- Well!- Grazie. - Ciao!
0:43:13 > 0:43:16It can take several months before a new product is ready for mass
0:43:16 > 0:43:20production, and only one in three make it that far.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24But once it does, a huge customer base awaits.
0:43:26 > 0:43:32We spend over £5 billion a year on pizza, pasta and other favourites.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Ruth has been finding out where our passion for Italian food started.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41According to the latest figures,
0:43:41 > 0:43:47there are 4,735 Italian restaurants currently operating in Britain.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52But just post-war, there were only a handful.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58So how did we fall in love with Italian food?
0:43:58 > 0:44:01Well, it all began here, in London's Soho.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08In the late 1940s London's Italian community moved into Soho,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10centring around Frith Street.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17The Polledri family set up their cafe, Bar Italia, in 1949.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Grandson Antonio runs it today.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Wow. Has it changed much at all?
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Well, since it was opened in 1949, nothing's changed really.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- It has that feel. - Very little has changed.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34The formica is still as it was.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38The Gaggia coffee machine is virtually still as it was.
0:44:38 > 0:44:39I mean, why here?
0:44:39 > 0:44:41My grandparents came from Italy.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44They saw an opportunity for good coffee,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46but also as a social centre in the heart of Soho,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49which was predominantly Italians at the time.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51So it was a really, really Italian area?
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Massive. It was called Little Italy.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01There were 15,000 Italians living in London in 1951.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Many working in the West End as waiters in French restaurants.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09But in the 1950s they started to open up their own,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12relaxed Italian trattoria-style eateries.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17This is the Soho directory for 1958.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22And you can see, there's quite a lot of Italian restaurants being listed.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29In fact, there were a total of 13 in just five streets.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32This was Gennaro's.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33And in here it says,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35"The 50-year-old family restaurant
0:45:35 > 0:45:38"with a reputation for excellent Italian food
0:45:38 > 0:45:42"and a charming tradition of presenting a flower to ladies at dinner."
0:45:46 > 0:45:48So this is Frith Street.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51So there were two side-by-side here.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Even the building's gone.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And next door, well, it is still a restaurant.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57It's not an Italian any more. It's a burger place now.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Most of the original restaurants have long gone.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06But there is one restaurant that not only survived and thrived,
0:46:06 > 0:46:12but became the first of the mass-market Italian restaurant chains.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Spaghetti House in Goodge Street opened its doors in September 1955.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Hello.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- VOICEOVER:- Luigi Lavarini, the son of one of the original owners,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28runs the restaurant chain today.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31How did the Spaghetti House come about?
0:46:31 > 0:46:33My father and my uncle met in
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Bar Italia and came up with the name,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- Spaghetti House.- How old were you when the restaurant opened?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I was six months old.
0:46:41 > 0:46:42So I was there.
0:46:44 > 0:46:45As a child I remember,
0:46:45 > 0:46:47always an exciting and buzzing atmosphere in the restaurant.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51- Was it?- People would eat close together on small tables.
0:46:51 > 0:46:52There would be queues outside.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55And what sort of food was being served back in 1955?
0:46:55 > 0:46:57- If we look here... - Oh, this is your early menu.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59This goes right back to the beginning.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I can't help but notice that spaghetti takes pride of place.
0:47:02 > 0:47:03Spaghetti Bolognese.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07- VOICEOVER:- Spag bol might not have been an authentic Italian dish but it was
0:47:07 > 0:47:10what British people wanted to see on the menu.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12They felt transported to Italy.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20All things Italian became cool.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Italian style, fashionable.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27So, spaghetti in London became hip, even glamorous.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Why do you think it was spaghetti
0:47:29 > 0:47:32that caught people's imagination in particular?
0:47:32 > 0:47:34It's fiddly, isn't it, to eat.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38It was quite a sophisticated thing to know how to twiddle...
0:47:38 > 0:47:40- Oh, I see.- ..spaghetti.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43So you could take your girlfriend to the Spaghetti House and show off
0:47:43 > 0:47:46- your...- Show off your skills. - Cosmopolitan.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48- She would have been impressed.- Yeah.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55The following decade saw Italian restaurants opening right across the country.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Affordable food and friendly hospitality was a winning combination
0:47:59 > 0:48:01that taught us to enjoy eating out.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04Oh! Wonderful.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Buon appetito.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10And our relationship with Italian food is a love affair that has stood
0:48:10 > 0:48:11the test of time.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16Just think how different British high streets would be if, 60 years ago,
0:48:16 > 0:48:20the Italians of Soho had not shared their cooking with us.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35It's taken 13 hours to get my spaghetti to this stage.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40And now it's heading for the packaging area.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45It arrives on an overhead conveyor
0:48:45 > 0:48:50and is fed down through this machine which weighs it out into rotating
0:48:50 > 0:48:51metal pockets.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54This is the packaging machine.
0:48:55 > 0:49:00The correct weight for the pack, in this case 500g.
0:49:00 > 0:49:06And we use this part for introducing the correct quantity of the product, OK.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10So, upstairs, this is weighing the 500g?
0:49:10 > 0:49:13And then it's dropping down into this.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- And moving it... - It continues weighing.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20This looks like bambino uccelli.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22- Oh, OK.- Like a baby bird.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24It's like...
0:49:24 > 0:49:25Yeah.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Finally, it's ready to go into a box.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32The finished product.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35And do you know what I do, I take it out and I cut it in half.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37- OK.- To make it the right size.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40I'm not gonna score any brownie points with that sort of behaviour.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44But I am going to put the right accompaniment with my spaghetti.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Pesto is another of our favourite pasta sauces.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50In fact, we spend £45 million on the stuff.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Cherry has been to see it made.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03This classic green pesto has one herb at its heart.
0:50:03 > 0:50:04Basil.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09The word pesto means to pound.
0:50:09 > 0:50:17Fresh basil leaves are crushed with pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19But the problem is, that when they're cut,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22they quickly turn black and lose their flavour.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29So how do you harvest basil and make pesto on an industrial scale that's
0:50:29 > 0:50:32going to last over a year in a sealed bottle?
0:50:36 > 0:50:40Here, in northern Italy, they harvest at dawn
0:50:40 > 0:50:44when the delicate leaves are cool and packed with flavour.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51The harvester is cutting the top of the basil at a set height,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54collecting it up into the back.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02By 8am they collect 20 tonnes of basil.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08The boxed up leaves are then transported in a refrigerated lorry for
0:51:08 > 0:51:1212 miles to the pesto making factory.
0:51:12 > 0:51:18The man responsible for turning the fresh herb into pesto is Marco Ciacelli.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20It's really green and fantastic.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24- It's beautiful. - Now, we test the temperature.
0:51:24 > 0:51:25What is the right temperature?
0:51:25 > 0:51:27In this case it's 21 degrees.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30What happens if the temperature is more?
0:51:30 > 0:51:33The basil became black very, very fast.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36So, if the basil goes black, the flavour isn't there?
0:51:36 > 0:51:38Yes, is not enough, is not correct.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40It's a high maintenance herb.
0:51:40 > 0:51:41Yeah, yeah.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48My basil leaves get three washes in fresh cold water.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49OK, let's go.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Once to remove stones,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58once to remove insects.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00And once for luck.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06Any rogue black leaves are discarded.
0:52:06 > 0:52:07Most of them are green.
0:52:07 > 0:52:08There's hardly any black.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11Oh, look, there's one. Ah!
0:52:11 > 0:52:12Hurray!
0:52:14 > 0:52:18- VOICEOVER:- Then, they're steamed for a few minutes to stop the enzymes in the basil
0:52:18 > 0:52:21from oxidising and turning the leaves black.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26And finally, seasoned with a mix of salt and sunflower oil.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Now, I need to add the cheese.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34With the help of the vacuum grip liftronic manipulator.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37Oh, wow!
0:52:42 > 0:52:45It is more than 30kg.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49This is 30kg and it feels like it weighs nothing.
0:52:49 > 0:52:54This enormous wheel of Grana Padano cheese is similar to Parmesan.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57It's like a really odd video game.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02OK. OK, press this one.
0:53:02 > 0:53:03OK, thank you.
0:53:03 > 0:53:08Oh, wow. And this is an industrial-sized cheese grater...
0:53:08 > 0:53:10And off we go.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14That can grate the whole cheese in under 60 seconds.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16It's a fountain of cheese.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- Yes.- This is my spiritual home.
0:53:19 > 0:53:20OK.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26- VOICEOVER:- Traditionally, pesto contains 7-10% pine nuts, but here,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28they use cashews instead.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Why do you use cashews and not pine nuts?
0:53:32 > 0:53:38With the cashew, we maintain for a long time the shelf life of our product.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40But does it change the taste?
0:53:40 > 0:53:46No, the taste of the cashew and the pine nuts is very, very close.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Less than three hours after we harvested the basil,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52it's combined with more sunflower oil,
0:53:52 > 0:53:56cheese and cashews in three giant mixing bowls.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03How long does the pesto now mix?
0:54:03 > 0:54:05OK, for five minutes.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06For only five minutes?
0:54:06 > 0:54:10Yes. Only five minutes and after that we are ready for the filling.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15Once the pesto is in the jars,
0:54:15 > 0:54:20it's pasteurised by heating it to over 90 degrees for up to eight minutes.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25This kills the bacteria and gives it a shelf life of 18 months.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31The whole process can be completed within five hours of the harvest.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33It's hard to believe it's natural.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36It's so green and bright.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40We never use any preservatives.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Nothing. Only natural ingredients.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Justa like-a mamma used to make!
0:54:45 > 0:54:46Fantastic.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Locked in a jar, the colours of the Italian countryside.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Ten minutes after it left the production line,
0:55:03 > 0:55:08my spaghetti is safely tucked into a carton of 25 packs.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15It has travelled five and a half miles through the factory
0:55:15 > 0:55:17and now it's on its final leg of the journey,
0:55:17 > 0:55:22to the distribution warehouse and into the arms of a robot.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28It takes 54 laser-guided vehicles to keep things moving in the world's
0:55:28 > 0:55:30biggest pasta distribution centre.
0:55:31 > 0:55:36They work nonstop to shift 10,000 pallets in 24 hours.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Keeping them on track is Lee Mamadou.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44When I was a child, I would watch films
0:55:45 > 0:55:50of the future. This is what it looked like in the movies.
0:55:50 > 0:55:51This is science fiction.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Yeah, at that time, it was science fiction, it was a kind of dream.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57But now, the dream has become reality.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- I like them.- Yeah, me too.
0:56:00 > 0:56:01But they scare me.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04That one?
0:56:04 > 0:56:06It's looking at me funny.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Yeah. But, it doesn't do you harm.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12I don't want to be the first victim of the robot.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15No, you will never be the first victim. Don't worry.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21Thankfully, the robots are being controlled from a central computer.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24The moving squares are the robots?
0:56:24 > 0:56:28- Yeah.- Why are some blue?
0:56:28 > 0:56:30They are blue because they are on mission.
0:56:30 > 0:56:31They are doing their work.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34So, a green one is on its way to a mission?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- Yeah.- A blue one has a mission?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38- Yeah.- Why are some red?
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- It has a problem. - VOICEOVER: And when there's a problem,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45men on tricycles ride to the rescue.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48So, you have all this technology,
0:56:48 > 0:56:53you have space age robots and they are fixed by men on tricycles.
0:56:53 > 0:56:54I find that very comforting.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59From this distribution centre,
0:56:59 > 0:57:031,100 tonnes of pasta are sent out every day.
0:57:03 > 0:57:0665% of it is exported.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11Enough heads to the UK to make 30 million plates of pasta.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16The rest travels to 120 countries across all seven continents.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20This place is amazing.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24I mean, look around. They've got state-of-the-art technology,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27they've got enormous yellow robots moving boxes around,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29they export all over the globe.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31And what is it?
0:57:31 > 0:57:34It is a simple mixture of semolina and water.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Isn't that amazing?
0:57:40 > 0:57:41Arrivederci.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47After 14 hours of processing,
0:57:48 > 0:57:51my spaghetti is making its way out into the world
0:57:53 > 0:57:55and onto the shelves of a shop near you.
0:58:00 > 0:58:05Next time, we'll take you inside Europe's biggest biscuit factory...
0:58:05 > 0:58:07It's a constant waterfall of chocolate biscuits.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11That makes 18 million biscuits every 24 hours.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17We'll reveal the technology behind the chocolate digestive.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19Oh, my word! Who designs this stuff?
0:58:19 > 0:58:23And Cherry's making a very expensive biscuit-cutter from thousands of
0:58:23 > 0:58:25pounds worth of bronze.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27It's a thing of beauty.