Christmas twists on food are always really fun, but they can be a little hit and miss, so when I saw Prezzo were doing Christmas takes on Italian meals, I knew I had to try
There’s not much I love more than going to Italy, and part of the reason for this is, of course, the food. Italian food in this country is often a poor imitation of what you can enjoy after just a short flight from the UK; for this reason, I don’t usually go out to Italian restaurants.
However, when I saw that Prezzo had a Christmas special menu on TikTok, I was persuaded to give it a go. I am a sucker for a festive twist on anything delicious, so I just knew I needed to try it for myself to see whether you should try it, too.
When I arrived and peeked at the menu, I immediately made eye contact with the Christmas carbonara and knew I had to try it.
I must say, I’m a carbonara convert. When I was younger, I used to do anything to avoid eating it. I found it too rich, too Parmesan-heavy; I just wasn’t a fan.
But as an adult, my taste buds have matured, and I now realise that anything with Parmesan is objectively delicious, so what was I thinking?
The menu describes it as “Spaghetti in a creamy sauce with roast turkey, sausage stuffing, and garnished with pigs in blankets and crispy sage stuffing”.
Additionally, I did some research and found that milk is listed as an allergen, so it likely contains some form of dairy, which a traditional carbonara typically does not.
Traditional carbonara has no cream, with the ‘creaminess’ coming from the egg.
But, as a one-off, I didn’t mind too much. Especially as a traditional carbonara certainly doesn’t have pigs in blankets, turkey, or stuffing in it. I liked the sound of the mash-up.
When the food arrived, it smelled delicious, and I took my first mouthful, which floored me.
It was so flavourful, evoking nostalgia of Christmases gone by thanks to the pigs in blankets, turkey, and stuffing, while also reminding me of the traditional carbonara dishes I’ve loved in the past.
I also had lashings of Parmesan on the top, which added to the experience and made it even more delightful.
It didn’t need additional seasoning, which is always a win and shows a restaurant knows exactly what they’re doing. There’s nothing worse than having to add tonnes of salt and pepper on top of your dish, not knowing how much it needs to bring out the flavours.
Taking it at face value as a yummy pasta, it was literally divine. In fact, I’m already planning my next Christmastime visit to Prezzo because it was so good.
It would be the perfect place to come for a Christmas party, as you can enjoy a delightful three-course meal for under £30, and even add bottomless prosecco, wine and beer for £21.95, so if you were looking to get a bit merry with colleagues or pals, that could definitely be on the cards.
