This supermodel’s variation of penne alla vodka went viral on Instagram and Tiktok in 2020, and the recipe has only gained popularity since then. Even Gigi’s sister, Bella Hadid, has jumped on the bandwagon, and fellow model Hailey Bieber has also tried her hand at this 30-minute recipe.
Whether you are looking for a new favorite pasta dish or want to follow in the foot steps of celebrities, here is everything you need to know about Gigi Hadid’s Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
Gigi Hadid’s spicy vodka pasta recipe uses classic Italian ingredients like garlic, onion, basil, and parmesan cheese. Plus, the addition of heavy cream makes the vodka sauce so rich and irresistible.
You’ll need two sets of simple ingredients for this recipe. For the pasta component, all you need is a pound of shell pasta (or any pasta shape you prefer).
To make the spicy vodka pasta sauce recipe, gather extra virgin olive oil, an onion, garlic, tomato paste, heavy cream, unsalted butter, kosher salt, black pepper, chili flakes, vodka, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil leaves.
Ingredient Notes & Optional Add Ins
When it comes to making this restaurant-quality pasta dish, it’s hard to go wrong. If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, feel free to make it your own with substitutions or add-ins. Here are some suggestions:
- Pasta: While Hadid uses pasta shells for this TikTok vodka pasta, any kind of pasta you prefer would work. For example, you can use rigatoni, noodles, fusilli, other variations of white pasta, or even whole wheat pasta. Or, use penne pasta to make it a classic spicy penne alla vodka recipe.
- Onion: Hadid mentions using either a red onion or a shallot in her spicy vodka sauce recipe, so feel free to use one of those if you have either on hand. I chose to use a white onion because I personally like the flavor of the sauce with this type of onion.
- Vodka: Use your favorite brand of vodka for this TikTok vodka sauce, as any brand will do the trick to enhance the flavor of the dish.
- Basil: While fragrant, fresh basil leaves take this pasta to the next level, you can also use an equal amount of fresh parsley or a teaspoon (or more) dried basil in the creamy tomato sauce instead.
- Add chicken: Add some extra protein by making this Gigi Hadid pasta with chicken. Try adding my easy Air Fryer Chicken Legs, or top off the pasta with this Baked Bone-In Chicken Breast or Greek Yogurt Chicken (aka my go-to grilled chicken recipe).
- Make it vegan: Just because the original recipe uses a lot of dairy doesn’t mean it can’t be vegan! To make this a vegan Gigi Hadid pasta, simply substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream and use vegan parmesan and vegan butter.
How to Make It Without Vodka
If you wish to make this pasta recipe without vodka, I have you covered. As it turns out, you can make Gigi Hadid’s pasta sauce completely alcohol-free. Here are a few vodka substitutes:
- Lemon juice: A tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice is a great substitute for vodka while still giving the vodka sauce recipe an acidic kick.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides that acidic, slightly alcoholic taste while being alcohol-free. This stuff is strong, so all you need to do is add a splash to your Gigi Hadid vodka pasta recipe without vodka.
- Pasta water: Adding a splash of pasta water in place of the vodka will give your spicy vodka pasta without vodka more flavor and thin it out a bit.
- Omit: The easiest way to make vodka sauce without vodka is to simply omit it! The penna alla vodka purists might disagree, but this recipe would still turn out delicious without vodka, so feel free to omit it and make your creamy tomato-based sauce without alcohol.
How to Make It?
This vodka pasta dish packs a lot of flavor for how simple and easy it is to make at home.
You’ll be surprised it’s not from a fancy Italian restaurant! Simply follow the steps below to have this dish on the table in about 30 minutes.
- Cook the pasta: Add water and a generous amount of salt to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package directions if needed. Before draining, keep a cup of pasta water for later.
- Saute the onions: While the pasta cooks make the spicy vodka sauce. To do so, add the oil to a saucepan or large skillet and heat over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring, until soft.
- Add the garlic: Add the garlic to the pan and cook, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste: Add in the tomato paste and constantly stir with a whisk (or a wooden spoon) for 1-2 minutes. If it separates or appears curdled, that is normal and nothing to worry about.
- Pour in the heavy cream: Pour the heavy cream into the pan and whisk the spicy pasta sauce until combined. Bring to a boil and simmer for up to a minute. Keep an eye on it and continue stirring constantly.
- Stir in the butter and the seasonings: Add the butter, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Whisk until the butter has melted.
- Add the (optional) vodka: Take the pan off the heat. If using vodka, add it to the creamy sauce and stir to combine. To make a no vodka vodka sauce, simply omit the vodka or try one of the substitutions listed above.
- Combine with the pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the spicy vodka sauce and toss to combine. If the pasta sauce appears too thick or starts sticking, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water.
- Garnish and serve: Top with parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped basil leaves. Serve.
How to Store & Reheat?
This dish is easy to store and reheat, so you can enjoy it over the next few days if you weren’t able to polish it off in one sitting (as much as you might want to). Here are some tips:
- Store: Store your pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat this dish is on the stove. I recommend adding a splash of half and half, heavy cream, or water while heating to return the dish to a creamy consistency.
What to Serve It With?
Serve this spicy pasta alla vodka alone for a quick, simple, and supermodel-approved weeknight meal, or amp it up by pairing it with a side dish. Here are my serving recommendations:
- Keep it vegetarian: For a completely vegetarian dinner, serve this pasta with a side salad to get in your greens for the day. Some of my favorites for Italian night are Kale Avocado Salad, Caesar Salad, and Butter Lettuce Salad. Or, if you want to try another celebrity recipe, try The Jennifer Aniston Salad.
- Serve it with meat: Pack your dinner with a bit more protein by serving your pasta with one of my meat dishes. This recipe pairs well with my creamy Chicken Fricassee, these flavorful Roasted Cornish Hens, or this comforting Ina Garten’s Pot Roast.
FAQs
To make the Gigi Hadid pasta recipe, you will need shell pasta, olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, heavy cream, unsalted butter, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vodka, parmesan cheese, and basil.
The Gigi Hadid pasta is actually called spicy vodka pasta. This viral pasta recipe became attached to supermodel Gigi Hadid after she shared it on her Instagram stories, leading to its viral success.
One serving of the Gigi Hadid pasta recipe is about 690 calories per serving.
It’s easy to make Gigi Hadid pasta without vodka. In place of the vodka, you can use a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a splash of apple cider vinegar, or a little bit of pasta water. Or, simply omit the vodka without a substitute.
Other Weeknight Pasta Recipes You Might Also Like
Italian nights always call for a delicious, cheesy pasta dish, some crusty bread, and a yummy side salad, so why not have more of them? For more pasta night inspiration, check out a few more easy pasta recipes below:
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Lemon and Ricotta Pasta
- Cashew Mac and Cheese – Vegan
- Tomato Basil Sauce – My go-to easy pasta sauce
If you try this Gigi Hadid Pasta recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Gigi Hadid Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shell pasta, or any shape you like such as penne, orecchiette, ziti etc.
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped – about 2/3 cup
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt*
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 tablespoon vodka, optional
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed – or 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Fill a big pot with water and a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, following the package instructions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining, drain and set aside.
- Saute the onions: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until warm, 2-3 minutes. Add in the onion, constantly stirring, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are softened.
- Cook the garlic: Stir in the garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste and cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, for 1-2 minutes. It might separate a little bit (and look like it is a bit curdled). That is normal.
- Add the heavy cream: Pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for 30 seconds to a minute. This happens so quickly, so do not leave sight of it and do not stop stirring.
- Stir in the butter and seasonings: Stir in butter, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, if using.
- Pour in the (optional) vodka: Off the heat; if using, stir in the vodka and mix.
- Combine with the pasta: Add the now-cooked pasta to the vodka sauce. Give it a toss to make sure that the sauce is evenly distributed. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water if it gets too thick or starts sticking.
- Garnish and serve: Finish it off with parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Video
Notes
- Servings: This recipe serves 4 people generously, but you can stretch it to serve 6 if you serve it as a side dish. You can also half the recipe by using 8 ounce/ 225 grams of pasta (usually half a box).
- Store: Store your pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat: I think the best way to reheat this dish is on the stove. However, you can use your microwave too. I recommend adding a splash of milk, half and half, heavy cream, or water while heating to return the dish to a creamy consistency.
- How to make it without vodka? You can easily make this recipe without using vodka. Simply use one of the suggestions below or omit it.
- Lemon juice: A tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice is a great substitute for vodka while still giving the vodka sauce recipe an acidic kick.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides that acidic, slightly alcoholic taste while being alcohol-free. This stuff is strong, so all you need to do is add a splash to your Gigi Hadid vodka pasta recipe without vodka.
- Pasta water: Adding a splash of pasta water in place of the vodka will give your spicy vodka pasta without vodka more flavor and thin it out a bit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dish can be made alcohol free even if you add vodka by adding the vodka while the sauce is still cooking at step 5. With so little vodka added, it still might become alcohol free if the vodka is added at step 7, because vodka boils at about 170 F, and the sauce was boiling (meaning slightly more than 212 F given the heavy cream) seconds earlier.
Agreed. Thanks for your input Richard.