Gigi Hadid Pasta

This Gigi Hadid Pasta recipe went viral on TikTok + Instagram in 2020 and for good reason! This spicy vodka pasta has a luscious creamy sauce with a touch of sweetness and a spicy kick!

It’s a restaurant quality pasta dish and the best part is…IT’S SUPER EASY TO MAKE!! Not many of the viral recipes (in my opinion) are actually worth making.

Gigi Hadid’s Pasta recipe however, IS worth making then making again and again. I love the balance of the sweetness from the tomato paste, heat from the chili flakes and acid from the vodka.

Mix that all together with the cream and parmesan and it’s to die for! Original Instagram Story. I add a little extra crushed red pepper to mine because I LOVE SPICY!

You can also make this recipe without the vodka! If you don’t like or can’t have vodka, don’t worry there are a couple options I’ll get into further down in the post!

If you’re looking for more pasta dishes to throw into your weeknight dinner mix then Mushroom and Truffle Pasta, Garlic Chicken Pasta, Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto and Easy Fried Spaghetti Recipe are all great options for quicker meals!

What is Gigi Hadid Pasta?

Gigi Hadid Pasta is a restaurant quality pasta recipe that went viral on TikTok and Instagram in 2020 after she posted the making of it in her kitchen. Gigi Hadid is an American model.

The pasta recipe consists of pasta shells, olive oil, garlic, red onion, heavy cream, vodka, crushed red pepper, butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and fresh basil.

I swapped out the red onions for green onions in this recipe BUT feel free to use red if you like. Here is the Instagram story where Gigi Hadid shows the making of her pasta!

I also upped the amount of garlic and cheese slightly because… why not?! I am the type of person that always adds more garlic to a recipe and never says “when” on the cheese.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• IT’S EASY!! – Let’s be honest, you definitely need some easy recipes up your sleeve for days when you don’t have a lot of time or energy.
• IT’S RESTAURANT QUALITY – Nothing is better than a recipe that is easy and also is restaurant quality. There is something to be said for simple delicious flavors.
• TONS OF FLAVOR – Gigi Hadid’s Pasta has a lot of flavor going on with not a lot of ingredients. The combination of sweet, heat and creaminess makes for a luscious and flavorful dish. A little fresh basil to top it off and there’s a whole lot of flavor happening.
• SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – This pasta recipe is made with simple ingredients. There’s a good chance that you have many of these ingredients on hand.
• COMFORT IN A BOWL – I don’t know about you but pasta is a huge comfort meal for me. It’s one of my go-to meals when I’m in a hurry or didn’t make it to the store.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil – Olive oil is my go-to oil. This is what Gigi Hadid uses to sauté the onion and garlic.
• Garlic Cloves – Garlic makes everything better! Fresh garlic works best in this recipe.
• Green Onion – The original recipe calls for red onion but I used green onions here. Feel free to swap out the green onion for red onion if you prefer.
• Tomato Paste – Tomato paste is great because it adds a depth of flavor, sweetness and that tomato taste without diluting or being too acidic.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream adds a luscious creaminess to this pasta dish.
• Vodka – I upped the amount of vodka slightly for a little more punch. You can leave the vodka out or you can replace it with a 1:1 ration or lemon juice and grape/apple juice.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – These pepper flakes give this pasta recipe a spicy kick! Add a little more or less depending on the spice level you like.
• Medium Pasta Shells – Gigi Hadid uses medium pasta shells in her recipe. These can be found at your local grocery store in the pasta aisle. If for some reason you cannot find them you can use cavatelli, penne or bowtie.
• Unsalted Butter – Butter gives this sauce some shine and extra creaminess. I use unsalted because we are adding our own salt to this recipe.
• Parmesan Cheese – Use your favorite parmesan cheese! I like to buy blocks of parmesan and shred them myself. I think that has the best flavor.
• Kosher Salt – Salt brings out the flavor in all the ingredients.
• Black Pepper – I like using coarse ground black pepper.
• Fresh Basil – Fresh basil gives this recipe a feeling of freshness and added flavor. Dried basil does not have the same effect. Definitely go with the fresh!

Equipment needed

• Sharp Knife – Using a sharp knife in the kitchen is very important. It will make cooking and cutting a lot easier.
• Cutting Board – Using a cutting board that is the right material and size is super helpful in the kitchen. These are my two favorite cutting boards: Boos Block + San Jamar.
• Large Stock Pot – You’ll need a large pot to cook your pasta shells.
• Colander – You need a colander or strainer to drain your pasta.
• Measuring Cup – Don’t forget to set aside your pasta water. I use a 1 cup measuring cup to set it aside. You’ll likely only need 1/2 cup but it doesn’t hurt to set a little extra aside just in case!
• Large Sauté Pan – I like using a large sauté pan with high sides to make the pasta sauce. That way there’s plenty of room to stir when you add the pasta.

Tips for Gigi Hadid Pasta

• Save the pasta water! Don’t skip this part. The salty pasta water really adds body and helps the sauce stick to the pasta. It helps thicken the sauce too because of the starch in the water.
• You can make Gigi Hadid Pasta with or without vodka. You can simply leave the vodka out of the recipe, it will still be delicious. Or if you want to replace it with something you can do a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to either white grape juice or apple juice.
• If you’re not able to find medium pasta shells you can use any pasta that will catch a lot of sauce. These are going to be pastas with shallow bowl shapes, nooks or ridges. Some examples are Cavatelli, Penne, Rigatoni, Bowtie and Campanelle. Speaking of rigatoni, add my rigatoni recipe to your list of hearty pasta dishes to make!
• If you can get your hands on fresh pasta, use that! Otherwise dried works just fine.
• Serve Gigi Hadid Pasta right away! It’s best hot and fresh out of the pan.

How to make Gigi Hadid Pasta

Start by boiling yourself a large pot of water. Make sure do salt the water with kosher salt, you want it to taste similar to salt water from the ocean.

Making the sauce

Add a drizzle of olive oil into the water and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, start making the sauce.

Heat a large sauté pan over low-medium heat and add 2 TBSP of olive oil. Add the green onions and let cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Lower heat is better than high heat for this.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it’s a bit darker and caramelized while stirring frequently. This will take 4-5 minutes.

Add the vodka to the pan and stir around then add the cream. Bring to a simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.

Turn the heat off then stir in the butter.

Cooking the noodles

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water to the side and drain the rest.

Add 1/2 cup pasta water along with the pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix well. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Serve on a plate and top with fresh basil. Top with additional parmesan cheese if desired. Try my Lemon Chicken Pasta next!

How to make this pasta recipe without vodka

There are two options here:

• You can leave the vodka out all together without a substitution. The pasta will still be delicious!
• You can substitute with a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to either white grape juice or apple juice. This helps add a bit of acidity in for that kick.

Additional add-ins

• Crispy Prosciutto
• Shrimp
• Chicken Breast
• Scallops
• Broccolini
• Pecorino

What to serve with Gigi Hadid Pasta

• Best Heirloom Tomato Salad
• Strawberry Summer Salad
• Any type of light green salad goes well with pasta
• Garlic Bread

Storage

Store this pasta in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta tends to soak up the sauce and dry out a bit the longer it sits.

When you reheat it I would recommend heating a little cream on the stove top then adding the pasta and stir until combined and warm.

You can also add a bit of chicken stock to the pan with the cream and get the same effect.

Please leave a rating and/or review!

If you make this restaurant quality Gigi Hadid Pasta recipe I would love it if you could leave a star rating and/or review at the bottom of this blog post. It is truly valuable and GREATLY APPRECIATED.

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FAQ

What pasta does Gigi Hadid use?

Gigi Hadid uses a medium pasta shell. These work really well because they can catch a lot of sauce in the little shell.

This way you get tons of delicious sauce in each bite. You can substitute any pasta that has ridges or nooks where the sauce can catch on to or fill up.

Is Gigi Hadid’s Pasta worth the hype?

I say yes! Not all viral recipes are. This recipe is super simple and also super flavorful.

It’s a restaurant quality pasta dish that can be made in the comfort of your home and likely be made over and over again.

Can you make it with milk?

You could but I would not recommend it. Using milk in place of heavy cream takes away much of the fat, flavor, creaminess and body.

The heavy cream helps make this pasta dish what it is. It wouldn’t taste quite the same without it.

Is this pasta recipe healthy?

To be honest no, not really. While it is extremely delicious, it is not the most healthy of meals.

It is carb heavy and contains a decent amount of fat with the heavy cream, cheese and butter. It is a comfort dish though.

So if you’re looking for comfort and flavor, this is the dish for you!