Vendor Highlight: Cowichan Pasta!

If you are into trying seriously great pasta and haven’t heard of Cowichan Pasta yet, listen up. This is a story of passion and dedication to making a craft above and beyond your typical noodles.

Matt Horn is the product of the culinary management program at Ottawa’s Algonquin College. Horn started his culinary career at Domus Cafe in Ottawa, then at Mariposa on the outskirts of Ottawa. Followed by four and half years as the Chef of Cowichan Bay’s iconic Masthead Restaurant and Amuse Bistro for one year.

Wanting something of his own and seeing a special artisan niche, Cowichan Pasta came to life in 2010. Cowichan Pasta works with local farmers to grow ancient grains for their pasta production which are then milled at True Grain Mill and Bakery. Producing frozen ravioli and dried pasta using ingredients from BC and many local products such as salt from Vancouver Island Salt Company, Cowichan Valley beef, BC spot prawns, vegetables and foraged items like seaweed and mushrooms when in season.

Cowichan Pasta is the first pasta company in Canada making stone ground pasta with ancient grains such as Spelt, Emmer and Khorasan (Kamut(™)) that is stored in whole kernel form, and then milled fresh with a chosen grind that maintains more of the fibre portion of the wheat than over processed grains.

Matt Horn was recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit in 2013 as one of the Top 40 Foodies under 40 in Western Canada by Western Living Magazine.