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This Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta is a rich, creamy tomato pasta with just enough heat from red pepper flakes – the viral recipe from her Instagram stories, made simple enough for a weeknight. It’s ready in 25 minutes and tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant.
Want more simple 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!
Why you’ll love Gigi Hadid’s spicy vodka pasta recipe!
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 few 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!
It’s essentially pasta alla vodka but attaching her name to it makes it a little more fun :)
Why You’ll Love This:
- One pan, one pot – and zero fancy techniques required.
- Restaurant-quality flavor – rich, creamy, and just spicy enough, without the restaurant price tag.
- Ready in 25 minutes – genuinely weeknight-friendly.
- Easy to make your own – skip the vodka, dial the heat up or down, or make it vegan.
Gigi Hadid Pasta Ingredients
The simple ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over what’s needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Pasta – You’ll need 1 pound of your favorite short pasta. I like to use shells, but you could use bowtie, penne, elbow noodles, or really any pasta shape you prefer. 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 shallot and garlic and building the base of the sauce. Gigi’s original recipe calls for a lot of olive oil but I cut it back a little and it’s still just as delicious.
- Garlic – fresh cloves, minced, for aromatic depth.
- Shallot – adds a milder, slightly sweet allium flavor; sub in a small onion if that’s what you have.
- Tomato paste – the backbone of the sauce; cooking it down first deepens the flavor.
- Red pepper flakes – just enough for a kick; leave out if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Vodka – adds a subtle depth to the sauce; the alcohol cooks off as it simmers, and it’s optional if you’d rather skip it.
- Heavy cream – for that rich, silky texture the sauce is known for. You can swap with coconut cream for a vegan version.
- Parmesan – use a good quality block and grate it yourself if you can; it melts smoother than pre-shredded. Use vegan parmesan cheese as desired.
- Butter – stirred in at the end for extra richness.
- Salt + pepper – to season the pasta water and the sauce itself.
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Boil the pasta. Cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Bloom the tomato paste. In a large skillet, cook the garlic and shallot in olive oil until softened, then stir in the tomato paste and let it cook down until it deepens in color.
- Build the sauce. Stir in the vodka, then add the cream and red pepper flakes and mix until smooth and glossy.
- Toss it all together. Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, butter, and parmesan to the creamy vodka sauce, stirring until everything’s coated and silky.
Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Salt your pasta water. It’s your only chance to season the pasta itself – don’t skip it.
- Sensitive to spice? This is just as good with the red pepper flakes left out entirely.
- Make it your own. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or extra veggies all work well stirred in near the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can leave the vodka out entirely and it’ll still taste amazing. You may want to hold back a little extra pasta water in case you want the sauce a touch thinner.
Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk or a thick oat milk, use a vegan butter, and either leave out the parmesan or replace it with vegan parmesan (Violife is a good one) or a little nutritional yeast.
Pretty much, yes! It’s essentially a spicy vodka sauce – Gigi’s version just leans into the red pepper flakes and made it go viral all over again.
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!
Gigi Hadid’s Spicy Vodka Pasta
Video
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!
Notes
- Storage – store in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave until warmed through. Olive oil note (original recipe uses ½ cup, I prefer ¼ cup). Vodka note. Vegan swap note.
- Olive oil – The original recipe would have you use ½ cup of olive oil but I tested it with just ¼ cup and preferred that.
- Vodka – you can easily leave out the vodka and this will still taste amazing! Maybe save a little extra pasta water in case you want the sauce a little thinner.
- To make this vegan – you can swap the cream for thick oat milk or (my preference) for full fat coconut milk. 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!)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delish!
Super delicious and so easy to make! My husband and I loved this and I’ll definitely be making it again.
My family loves it, even my little sister who is super picky. It’s quick, easy, and so tasty but definitely not as good on the second day.
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?