Gigi Hadid Pasta ( a.k.a. Spicy Vodka Pasta) is a TikTok Viral Pasta Recipe made with pasta tossed in a yummy creamy sauce. Find out how to make it with and without vodka!

Ok… if you are on Tik Tok, no introduction is needed to this pasta recipe.

But if you are not familiar with it, this is your chance to make it. Tell ya… it is worth the hype!

This is a vegetarian pasta recipe that can be made with whole wheat pasta, keto pasta, or gluten-free noodles, depending on the diet you are on.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the simple ingredients that Gigi Hadid used to make her pasta (and a few substitutes if you need):

Pasta shells – Gigi used Orecchiette (“little ears”) to make her pasta but you can use small pasta shells (they look like a sea shell). This type of short pasta holds well the creamy sauce. Cook pasta al dente and then toss it in the pasta sauce until coated. Please do NOT forget to reserve about ½ cup of pasta water to add to the sauce. The starch will make the sauce thicker!
Olive oil– she added about ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons to her recipe but I found it half that amount (or 2 tablespoons) was more than enough to sauté both the shallots (or red onion) and garlic, especially because she used a nonstick pan. So yes, I cut down on the fat!
Red onion – She usually uses shallots but because she didn’t have it at home, she replaced it with red onion. A good sub, Gigi!
Garlic – I don’t know whether she isn’t a fan of garlic or the pregnancy affected her palate, but I found just one clove of garlic not to be enough. So I went ahead and added 3 to mine instead of a small garlic clove like hers. It will make this spicy vodka pasta recipe more delish!
Tomato paste — Yes, the paste is concentrated, not tomato sauce. It will add acidity to the dish!
Heavy cream — It makes the sauce quite creamy and will balance the tomato paste. But if you don’t have it at home, you may use half-and-half or even whole milk but make sure to let it reduce it longer.
Vodka – Although the original Pasta Alla Vodka has vodka, Gigi skip it on hers because she didn’t have it at home. If you do, make sure to let it evaporate by cooking the sauce a little longer (about 1-2 minutes more).
Red pepper flakes – It gives this dish a kick but if you are not a fan of spicy foods, you can omit it.
Basil leaves– She didn’t have it but she mentioned in her video you should add chopped basil. I added to the sauce and also as a garnish. It will boost the flavor of the sauce for sure. Fresh basil is better… and adding it whole too (choose small leaves though)! I know many recipes call for chiffonade or chopped basil but the basil scent and flavor come from the oils. By chopping the leaves, you expose more of the oils to the air. The ideal is to use SMALL whole leaves for sauces.
Butter – It is added at the very end right after removing the pasta from the heat. It will make it richer for sure!
Parmesan cheese – Gigi used about ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese but go for me: Double it!

How to Make Gigi Hadid Pasta

Follow these few steps to make one of the best easy dinners ever! We followed most of her directions with a few modifications:

Cook the pasta: Make sure to follow the directions in the package. SEE PIC. 1 When the pasta is done (al dente), save ½ cup of the pasta water before draining instead of ¼ cup in the original recipe. More of the starchy pasta water will make the sauce saucier. Set aside!
Make the sauce: Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and cook the onion (or shallots) until soft. Then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. SEE PIC. 2 Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it appears “darker in color and a bit caramelized”, says Gigi Hadid. SEE PICS. 3 & 4
Add in the heavy cream and then the vodka (optional). SEE PIC. 5 Cook until vodka has evaporated (about 2 minutes). NOTE: For extra flavor, you may add a few small leaves of basil to the sauce at this point! SEE PIC. 6
Add in salt and pepper to taste, and also the red pepper flakes. Keep stirring until combined and the sauce is mostly creamy and thickened.
Right before adding the pasta, add in the butter. Stir over low heat until the butter has melted. SEE PIC. 7
Add the cooked pasta – and the pasta water – to the sauce. SEE PIC. 8
Stir in the parmesan cheese and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. SEE PIC. 9 Make sure the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.
Serve this spicy vodka pasta topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and basil to garnish. Enjoy!

Gigi Hadid Pasta

Print Recipe

This Spicy Vodka Pasta (a.k.a Gigi Hadid Pasta) is a TikTok Viral Pasta Recipe made with pasta tossed in a rich creamy sauce. Find out how to make the best recipe ever with and without vodka!

Author: Julia
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Main dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz Orecchiette or shell pasta, fusilli, penne, farfalle (bowtie), or conchiglie. HEALTHY OPTIONS: Whole wheat pasta, or low carb pasta (If on a keto diet) or gluten-free pasta (if on a gluten-free diet)
2 tablespoon olive oil ORIGINAL: ¼ cup olive oil is too much
¼ red onion small diced (or 3 shallots, minced)
3 cloves of garlic minced (ORIGINAL: 1 small clove of garlic, diced)
¼ cup tomato paste NOT TOMATO SAUCE
½ cup heavy cream you may replace it with half-and-half to cut down on the fat
1 tablespoon vodka YOU CAN SKIP IT
Fresh basil leaves Use about 6 small leaves for the sauce and a few more for garnish. Many recipes call for chiffonade or chopped basil but the basil scent and flavor come from the oils. By chopping the leaves, you expose more of the oils to the air. The ideal is to use SMALL whole leaves for sauces.
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more for a spicier pasta
1 tablespoon butter you can omit it to cut down on the fat
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ORIGINAL: ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook the pasta: Make sure to follow the directions in the package. When the pasta is done (al dente), save ½ cup of the pasta water before draining instead of ¼ cup in the original recipe. More of the starchy pasta water will make the sauce saucier. Set aside!
Make the sauce: Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and cook the onion (or shallots) until soft. Then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it appears “darker in color and a bit caramelized”, says Gigi Hadid.
Add in the heavy cream and then the vodka (optional). Cook until vodka has evaporated (about 2 minutes). NOTE: For extra flavor, you may add a few small leaves of basil to the sauce at this point!
Add in salt and pepper to taste, and also the red pepper flakes. Keep stirring until combined and the sauce is mostly creamy and thickened.
Right before adding the pasta, add in the butter. Stir over low heat until the butter has melted.
Add the cooked pasta – and the pasta water – to the sauce.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Make sure the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.
Serve this spicy vodka pasta topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and basil to garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

How to Store Spicy Vodka Pasta Although I doubt you’ll have leftovers, you can always store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat To reheat leftovers, place it in a pan over medium-low heat and add a splash of heavy cream or milk, or just enough to loosen up the sauce a bit. Stir gently just until the pasta is heated through.