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This viral Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta is tender pasta in a rich and creamy tomato sauce with garlic, diced shallot, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. This recipe is so simple and delicious that it has quickly become one of my go-to dishes when I’m craving pasta! It’s super easy to make and can be on the dinner table in less than 30 minutes!
Want more simple meat-free pasta recipes? Try out my Pesto Cream Sauce Pasta, as well as my delicious Pasta with Rose Sauce, AND my Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic Sauce!
Have you heard of the Gigi Hadid vodka pasta? Well, let me tell ya, you’re in for a real treat! Gigi Hadid posted the recipe in her insta stories a couple years ago and then it went viral. It’s been a TikTok trending recipe for quite some time and after seeing it so much on social media, I finally decided to give it a try. I don’t know why I waited so long… I LOVE it so much. It’s super easy to make and so good!
This Gigi Hadid vodka sauce and pasta is one of those simple recipes that has minimal ingredients, but is just so flavorful and satisfying. It tastes like something you’d order in a fancy restaurant, yet it only takes about 25 minutes to make from start to finish!
Ingredients needed:
You’re going to fall in LOVE with this version of vodka pasta! It requires only simple, easy-to-find ingredients and comes together with very little effort. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:
- Pasta. You’ll need 1 pound of your favorite short pasta. I like to use shells, but you could use bowtie, penne or elbow noodles. Feel free to substitute whole grain or whole wheat pasta for added nutritional value. Use gluten free pasta, as desired.
- Olive oil. For cooking the diced shallot and garlic and making the sauce.
- Shallot + garlic. The shallot and cloves of garlic add delicious aromatic flavor. If you don’t happen to have shallot, sub with onion.
- Tomato paste. The base of the sauce includes 1/2 cup tomato paste.
- Vodka. The vodka adds a really special flavor to the sauce. Don’t worry, the sauce simmers long enough for the alcohol to boil off.
- Heavy cream. Adds rich creaminess to the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes. Just 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper gives the sauce a nice kick of heat.
- Butter. This gets stirred into the sauce for extra flavor and richness.
- Parmesan cheese. I highly recommend using a good quality grated or shaved parmesan, or buy a block of it and grate it yourself.
- Salt + pepper. To bring all of the flavors together.
How to make this pasta:
This vodka pasta recipe is so simple to make and it comes together easily – while the pasta is boiling, you can start the sauce, then simply stir everything together. Below is a quick breakdown of how to prepare this recipe:
- Boil pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. Once done, drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add in the garlic and shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring often. Stir in the vodka and then add in the cream and pepper flakes and mix to combine.
- Mix sauce and pasta. Stir the cooked pasta as well as ½ cup of pasta water, the butter, and parmesan cheese into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and serve with basil or parsley and an extra sprinkle of parmesan. Enjoy!
Recipe tips for making the recipe:
Here are a few tips to make sure this creamy, dreamy pasta is absolutely perfect every time!
- Cooking pasta. Don’t forget to season the water with plenty of salt before adding in the pasta; otherwise this dish may taste under-seasoned. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon salt per 4 cups of water.
- Sensitive to spice? This recipe is just as delicious without the addition of red pepper flakes, simply omit.
- Make it your own. I love this vodka pasta as-is, but you can always add some grilled or rotisserie chicken, bacon, pancetta or veggies to the sauce if you wish. I suggest adding any mix-ins right near the end and letting them warm through.
Serving suggestions
When I serve this for dinner, I like to keep the sides pretty simple because this is one satisfying meal. Here are some of my favorite pairing options:
- Salad. A green salad, such as this warm kale salad always goes well with pasta and a creamy sauce. You could also make a fresh green salad by tossing mixed greens with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Feel free to add toppings to your salad such as red onion, cherry tomatoes, and croutons.
- Vegetables. Either stovetop asparagus or sautéed Brussels sprouts would be delicious as a side dish.
- Bread. Don’t let any of the incredible creamy tomato sauce go to waste! Sop it up with a crusty slice of your favorite bread. Garlic bread is amazing with this recipe!
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can easily leave out the vodka and this will still taste amazing! Maybe save some extra pasta water in case you want the sauce a little thinner.
To make this recipe vegan, simply swap the cream for thick oat milk or (my preference) full fat coconut milk. Use a vegan butter and you could leave out the parmesan and simply add in a little nutritional yeast. HOWEVER, I would suggest picking up some vegan parmesan – Violife makes an amazing one!
Store this pasta in the fridge for up to about 4 days. To reheat, simply do so in the microwave until heated through.
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this spicy vodka pasta recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
VIDEO FOR THIS PASTA IS DOWN BELOW IN THE RECIPE CARD!
More pasta recipes to try
Gigi Hadid’s Spicy Vodka Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta of choice, it’s classically served with elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup olive oil*
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, diced
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons vodka, optional*
- 1 cup heavy cream, see note below for a vegan version!
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup parmesan
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Once done, drain and set aside.1 pound pasta of choice
- Meanwhile, start the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add in the garlic and shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring often.¼ cup olive oil*, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small shallot, ½ cup tomato paste
- Stir in vodka and then add in the cream and pepper flakes and mix to combine.2 tablespoons vodka, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Mix in the cooked pasta as well as ½ cup of pasta water, the butter, and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup parmesan, Salt + pepper to taste
- Remove from the heat and serve with basil + an extra sprinkle of parmesan!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it for a big group! 3x the recipe and it was a hit! Also tried it with blended cottage cheese instead of heavy cream to make it higher in protein and thought it turned out well!
I tried this recipe, and it was really good, but I have questions I want to ask; how can I reach you?