Make it at home recipe: Zizzi's strozzapreti pesto rosso

I've always been a firm believer in steering clear of pasta dishes when eating out. This is simply because I think of pasta as something really simple that is so often just cooked at home. Having been to Zizzi a number of times, I have tried most of their dishes, and despite being a pasta dish, their strozzapreti pesto rosso is easily one of my favourites. It's creamy and pesto-y with a bit of spice with tender chicken breast and spring onions and topped off with a bit of parmesan or cheddar, it is perfect comfort food.

I was browsing the Zizzi blog and found the recipe for the dish online and simply had to try and replicate it. The ingredients list wasn't extensive, and I happened to have most of it in the cupboard anyway making it the perfect student dish! The only thing that may be slightly more rare in a student kitchen is harissa, which is what I used for the 'chilli paste' listed on the recipe. 'Strozzapreti' is actually the name given to the thin tubes of pasta used in the Zizzi dish, however I couldn't get hold of the specific kind used in the restaurant so opted for penne, which worked just as well (but slightly less glamorous!) I also used a chicken stock cube instead of the vegetable stock listed in the ingredients, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

The dish was really easy and didn't take a great deal of time to make. It tasted almost identical to the dish served in the restaurant and at a fraction of the price. Looks like I may have to find a new favourite dish to order at Zizzi!

If you want to try out the recipe yourself then click here. (Note that this recipe serves 2 people)