Luxury Spelt Producer Sharpham Park Launches New Artisan Dry Spelt Pasta Collection

Sharpham Park, pioneers of growing organic spelt in the UK, have added to their ever-expanding luxury spelt food range with the launch of a new Artisan Dry Spelt Pasta Collection.
Produced in small batches using bronze dies on a traditional Italian pasta machine, the spelt pasta has been made with Sharpham Park's White Spelt Flour, which has been stone ground in the dedicated organic spelt mill on the Sharpham Park farm.

As a result of this process, the spelt pasta has a unique ridged surface and texture, which perfectly compliments and holds sauces in recipes. The pasta is then slowly air-dried for a minimum of 36 hours which helps maintain the nutritional qualities of the ingredients and the distinctive nutty taste of spelt, ensuring a high quality pasta.

The new Artisan Dry Spelt Pasta Collection comes in 3 varieties: Campanelle, made using pasteurised free-range eggs; Conchiglie Tricolore, ribbed spelt pasta shells made with eggs, baby spinach and rich red beetroot to add colour and flavour to the pasta and Rigatoni Triclore, the same ingredients as Conchiglie Tricolore but with ribbed spelt pasta tubes.

Sharpham Park spelt is farmed and milled organically onsite in Somerset using sustainable farming methods. With a unique gluten structure that makes it easier to digest than wheat, spelt is a top super food - slowly releasing sugars and nutrients into the blood stream, making it a superb energy source.

Sharpham Park Artisan Dry Spelt Pasta Collection is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols (Knightsbridge) from September and online at www.sharphampark.com, RRP £3.99 each (300g).

Spelt ideal for people who are not tolerant of wheat, though it is not gluten free.

Recipe idea using Sharpham Park Spelt Conchiglie Tricolore Pasta:

CHICKPEA, FETA AND SHARPHAM PARK CONCHIGLIE (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients
300g Sharpham Park Conchiglie Tricolore
1 tin cherry tomatoes
100ml olive oil

50g chopped mint
50g thinly sliced spring onions
1 small handful chopped coriander
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
200g feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

Method
1) Cook 300g Sharpham Park Conchiglie in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally and drain.
2) Mix tomatoes, olive oil (less a spoonful), chopped mint, spring onions, coriander and garlic together.
3) Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the dried chickpeas and sauté for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
4) Add chickpeas and pasta to tomato mixture and toss to coat.
5) Add feta; toss briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6) Garnish with mint and coriander sprigs.
7) Serve warm or let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.

FACTFILE:

Sharpham Park was founded in 2005 by entrepreneur Roger Saul, founder of designer label Mulberry.

Ever since its early beginnings, Sharpham Park has been dedicated to growing ancient spelt grain in an organic and eco-friendly way, achieving full organic certification from the Soil Association in September 2006.

With tons of iron, zinc, riboflavin and other vitamins and minerals, spelt is one of today's healthiest grains. In addition, because of its unique gluten structure, it is much easier to digest than its distant cousin wheat.

All Sharpham Park spelt is 100% organic and is grown and milled in a purpose-built on-site mill at Sharpham Park farm in Somerset. It is the only dedicated organic spelt mill in the UK, incorporating the best machinery sourced throughout Europe.

The Sharpham Park food range also includes Spelt Mueslis, Cereal Bars, Puffs, Granolas, Porridge, Sweet and Savoury Biscuits, Pearled Spelt, Wholegrain, White, Artisan and Seeded Flour and Speltottos.

Sharpham Park
Glastonbury
Somerset
BA16 9SA
www.sharphampark.com

(EDITOR: Spelt products should be ni your pantry for Christmas!)