Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta: calories and sugar by portion and age

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta, children's portion of penne in a creamy béchamel and basil pesto sauce in a white bowl, nutrition and calories

Boone’s analysis puts Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta at 24% of an adult’s daily calories, 53% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 1.3 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta? It contains 482 kcal, 29g of fat (9.7g saturated), 5g of sugar and 1.6g of salt.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add a pizza or main, dough balls or a starter, a drink and a dessert, then choose your age and sex for a more accurate view of how a Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta fits into a day.

Nutrition information

Nutrition information: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Energy	482 kcal
Fat	29g
of which saturates	9.7g
Carbohydrate	45g
of which sugars	5g
Fibre	1.4g
Salt	1.6g
Protein	9.9g

Nutrition figures are Pizza Express UK published data (September 2026), per portion as served and before any extra toppings or dips. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 482 kcal, which is 24% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 29g of total fat, of which 9.7g is saturated, 5g of sugar, 1.6g of salt, 9.9g of protein and 1.4g of fibre.

The saturated fat content of 9.7g represents 49% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.

Pizza Express publishes figures per portion and per 100g, which puts this portion at about 215g, or 224 kcal per 100g.

Sugar in Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 5g of free sugar per standard serving (1.3 teaspoons). Pizza Express publishes a total sugar figure of 5g and Boone counts all of it as free sugar. Moderate sugar

The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Free sugar excludes the sugars naturally present in milk and whole fruit.

Free sugar by portion: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
Per portion	5g 17%	5g 17%	5g 17%	5g 21%	5g 26%

Teaspoons: 1.3 tsp

Boone calculates these percentages from Pizza Express UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under. For guidance only.

Salt in Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 1.6g of salt per standard serving. Moderate salt

Children have lower salt limits: 3g per day for ages 4 to 6, 5g for ages 7 to 10.

Salt by portion: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Portion	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
Per portion	1.6g 27%	1.6g 27%	1.6g 27%	1.6g 32%	1.6g 53%

Calories in Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 482 kcal per standard serving. Moderate calorie share

Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex.

Calories by portion: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Portion	Adult (female) 2,000 kcal	Adult (male) 2,500 kcal	Age 11 to 17 1,936 kcal	Age 7 to 10 1,553 kcal	Age 4 to 6 1,291 kcal
Per portion	482 kcal 24%	482 kcal 19%	482 kcal 25%	482 kcal 31%	482 kcal 37%

Saturated fat in Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 9.7g of saturated fat per standard serving. Moderate saturated fat

The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower for children.

Saturated fat by portion: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Portion	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
Per portion	9.7g 49%	9.7g 32%	9.7g 49%	9.7g 54%	9.7g 61%

Fibre in Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 1.4g of fibre per standard serving. Little fibre

Fibre is the one figure here that is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under. UK guidance is 30g a day for adults, 25g for ages 11 to 17, 20g for ages 7 to 10 and 15g for ages 4 to 6. Most people in the UK fall well short. The table below shows how much of a day’s fibre this serving provides.

Fibre by portion: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 25g	Age 7 to 10 20g	Age 4 to 6 15g
Per portion	1.4g 5%	1.4g 5%	1.4g 6%	1.4g 7%	1.4g 9%

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

All 5g counts as free sugar. Pizza Express does not separate naturally occurring sugar from added sugar, so Boone counts the full figure. Sugars from sauces, purées and added sugar are free sugars; any from whole fruit, vegetables or milk would not be, so this may slightly overstate it. That is 1.3 teaspoons.

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6.

Allergens at a glance

Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains cereals containing gluten (wheat), soya and milk. Pizza Express says it may contain traces of mustard. Pizza Express lists it as suitable for vegetarians.

Allergen information: Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta

Allergen	Status
Cereals containing gluten	Contains (wheat)
Crustaceans	Not present
Eggs	Not present
Fish	Not present
Peanuts	Not present
Soya	Contains
Milk	Contains
Tree nuts	Not present
Celery	Not present
Mustard	May contain traces
Sesame	Not present
Sulphites	Not present
Lupin	Not present
Molluscs	Not present

Contains = declared as an ingredient. May contain traces = Pizza Express flags a significant risk of cross-contamination where the ingredient is made. Pizza Express kitchens handle all 14 major allergens, so no dish can be guaranteed allergen free. Always tell the team about an allergy when you order.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

Boone calculates that a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 482 kcal, which is 24% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 37% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much sugar is in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

A Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 5g of sugar, all of which counts as free sugar, or about 1.3 teaspoons. That is 17% of an adult’s 30g daily limit and 26% of the 19g limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much saturated fat is in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

A Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 9.7g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 49% of the daily guideline for an adult woman and 32% for an adult man, because the guideline differs by sex: 20g and 30g.

How much salt is in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

A Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 1.6g of salt. Boone calculates that as 53% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 27% of an adult’s 6g limit.

How much fibre is in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

A Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 1.4g of fibre. Boone calculates that as 5% of an adult’s 30g daily target and 9% of the 15g target for a child aged 4 to 6. Fibre is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under.

How much protein is in a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta?+

A Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta contains 9.9g of protein, which Boone calculates as 20% of a 50g adult daily target.

Is a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta classed as less healthy?+

Under the government’s 2018 nutrient profiling model a Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta scores 10. The model classes a food scoring 4 or more as less healthy, so this item would be. The 2018 model is published but not yet used for advertising rules. Pizza Express does not publish fruit, vegetable, nut or seed content, so Boone scores that component as zero.

Is the Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta vegetarian?+

Pizza Express lists the Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta as suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans.

Can I get the Pizza Express Piccolo Creamy Pesto Pasta gluten free?+

Yes. Pizza Express offers a gluten-free version, accredited by Coeliac UK, which comes to 454 kcal. Gluten-free means no more than 20ppm of gluten; tell the team about a gluten allergy when ordering.