Making the Famous Gigi Hadid Pasta

It has been hard to go a single day on social media without seeing a TikTok or Instagram photo about Gigi Hadid’s “famous” spicy vodka pasta. And during a random night during my winter break, I finally decided to succumb to the trend. I was skeptical at first, because I’m not the biggest fan of spicy foods. However, I am here to say this is one of the best (and easiest) pasta dishes I have ever made. While it certainly takes more work than boiling water and opening a jar of tomato sauce, this delicious dish will impress any guest and is a simple task for even a mediocre chef like myself. This is also a great recipe to know since many of the ingredients are probably in your (or your family’s) pantry. Here is a play-by-play of how to make it!

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 1/2 pound of pasta (Gigi suggests shells, but any type would work)

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• ¼ onion (I used a white onion, and used slightly more than ¼) 

• 2 cloves garlic, diced (minced garlic works here, too)

• ¼ cup tomato paste

• ½ cup heavy cream 

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (I used a little less than this) 

• 1 tbsp vodka 

• 1 tbsp butter 

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese (bagged or freshly grated) 

• Basil, for topping

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil over a medium flame. Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook until soft and translucent. 

2. Simultaneously, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook pasta. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to add to the sauce before serving.  This will slightly thin it out.

3. Add tomato paste and allow it to combine and caramelize (it should become a bit darker in color).

4. Add in heavy cream and combine. The sauce should become a pinkish-orange color. Allow to bubble slightly so the heavy cream can thicken the mixture.

5. Once thickened, add vodka and allow to cook until alcohol evaporates–approximately 5 minutes.

6. Add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Each of these ingredients can be modified to accommodate individual preferences. 

7. Next, add butter and reserved pasta water. To ensure the sauce doesn’t get too thin, add the excess water in small quantities until desired consistency is achieved. 

8. Add pasta and grated parmesan to the pan and slowly fold together the mixture.

9. Serve with basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

• Gigi Hadid
• pasta