Christmas has been and gone, spring seems too far away, and the cold and bitterness of winter seem to go on too long. There is, however, something to cheer you up – popping along to Pizza Express to try out some of their new winter dishes. If you join the Pizza Express Club via their App you can enjoy 50% off all pizzas right up until 25 January.
There are several new items too on the menu including the Nduja Dough balls (£6.95). I found these to be an ideal stat to the meal – baked with Italian tomato sauce, spicy nduja sausage with a combination of three melted cheeses – mozzarella, cheddar and Gran Milano. There was enough to share between two people so to keep the cost and the calories down. Sharing is caring in this instance.
The restaurant is embracing the chill this season to delight customers with a new Al Forno winter warmer: the Formaggi and Pancetta Penne (£15.45). A pasta dish of penne, creamy béchamel sauce, garlic, pancetta and a melting trio of mozzarella, cheddar, and Gran Milano cheeses, this is the perfect dish for cold winter days. For my liking, the taste of the cheese was far too mild, considering that three normally very strong cheeses are utilised I was expecting a more robust taste to have been present, however the dish was served piping hot with the pasta cooked perfectly.
Pizzas
Making a welcome return is the Pollo Fiesta Pizza (£16.65) where a taste of Havana arrives in the north. I particularly liked the Fajita spiced chicken, roasted peppers, garlic, red onion, tomato and mozzarella but was not sure about the sour cream that was drizzled across the pizza, it seemed a little too strong.
Customers will also find iconic flavours and familiar favourites on the pizzeria brand’s winter menu, such as the American Hot, which will put the colour back in anyone’s cheeks when they come in from the cold. For those looking for a lighter take, customers can choose any Classic or Romana recipe on a Leggera base – under 600 calories, Leggera pizzas are served on a classic sized ring of dough with a hole in the middle filled with a fresh, dressed salad. There’s also iconic salad options including the ever-popular Bosco or Niçoise (tuna) – on the menu since 1985.
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Something sweet
If you have room for something sweet there is the new chocolate fondant dessert, which features a molten centre of luxuriously oozy chocolate. To accompany the pudding, a scoop of cooling vanilla gelato tops the dessert, which is finished with a dusting of icing sugar.
A great end to a real winter warmer that cheers up dreary January.
