18 January 2011

Pizza Express: Gustosa / Vitabella [New Lighter Pizzas] (Waitrose) [By @Cinabar]

It seems a bit of a contradiction in terms to have a ‘light’ pizza, as pizza and healthy don’t go usually go hand in hand. Pizza Express has created some unique recipes which results in a pizza with less than 600 calories. There are two varieties in this new range Gustosa and Vitabella, both with uplifting sounding Italian names.




Vitabella (Italian for Beautiful Life)
This pizza has a generous helping of char grilled peppers, asparagus, tomatoes and mozzarella balls. Asparagus isn’t a traditional pizza topping, but it gave the pizza a lovely fresh but hearty feel. The char grilled peppers were full of that barbecue flavour and added a lovely sweetness. Although there isn’t much cheese one this pizza, the mozzarella added a nice, if sporadic, creamy taste to the base. The pizza is also sprinkled with some oregano, giving the whole thing a nice authentic flavour.
This pizza may not appeal to those after a huge cheese fix, as its vegetable topping has a much more grown up feel to it. It is an impressive sophisticated pizza, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is perfect for those with New Year’s resolutions to cut down a bit but still want something a bit special. I love the idea of asparagus on a pizza now, it’s surprisingly delicious.




Gustosa (Italian for Tasty)
In contrast to the Vitabella, this pizza does feel a bit more like it has a traditional topping. It is covered with ham, mushrooms, yellow peppers and mozzarella. I was pleased to discover that the peppers were char grilled and sweet like on the previous pizza as they are yellow they added a lovely colour too. The ham is smoky and flavoursome and adds a nice meatiness, the mushrooms are full of flavour, and there seems to be a hint of garlic too.
This is very much a ‘posh’ pizza, but if you are looking for a lighter alternative but with a familiar topping this fits the bill really well. I can categorically say it meets it Italian name well, and is indeed rather tasty! It has a lovely flavour, that even tasted bad-for-you despite being lower calorie, what more could you want!
By Cinabar

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