The Real Secret Behind Gigi Hadid’s Viral Pasta

Creamy Vodka Pasta (Gigi Hadid Style)
Rich, silky, and ready in 15 minutes.

Let’s make the famous Gigi Hadid pasta — creamy, spicy, and seriously addictive. We’re keeping it simple but making a few tweaks to make it even better. You’ll get the smoothest sauce that sticks perfectly to every piece of penne. Let’s get started.

00:00 - Intro

00:28 - Ingredients (2 servings)
220 g penne
130 g pasta water (use 60 g first, then 70 g at the end)

For the sauce
50 g olive oil
5 g garlic (1 clove)
50 g shallot peeled (1 small shallot, around 55 g unpeeled shallot)
80 g tomato paste
200 g heavy cream (30% fat, don’t use lower-fat cream – it might split)
15 g vodka (Want to make a vodka pasta recipe without vodka? No problem. Check out how you can substitute it on our website.)
20 g parmesan (Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese – it doesn’t melt as well. Use a fine grater.)
20 g butter

Spices
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt (flat, not heaped)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

01:42 - Step 1: Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Drop in 220 g of penne and cook it 2 minutes less than the package says.
Scoop out 130 g of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta, but don’t rinse it.

01:51 - Step 2: Make the sauce base
Heat a pan over medium (5/9 heat). Add 50 g olive oil.
Add 50 g finely chopped shallot (about 1 small one). Cook 3–4 minutes, until soft.
Add 5 g garlic (1 clove), cook 1 more minute until fragrant.

02:45 - Step 3: Build the flavor
Stir in 1 tsp chili flakes.
Add 80 g tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring.
Pour in 15 g vodka and simmer 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. This cooks off the alcohol and leaves a deep flavor.

03:30 - Step 4: Cream it up
Turn the heat to low (3/9). Slowly pour in 200 g heavy cream (30% fat). Stir the whole time. Don’t let it boil.
If it bubbles too much, lift the pan off the heat for a moment.

03:57 - Step 5: Combine pasta + sauce
Add the drained pasta straight to the sauce. Pour in the 60 g reserved pasta water.
Stir and let the sauce coat the pasta.

04:20 - Step 6: Melt the cheese
Add 20 g finely grated parmesan in 2–3 rounds. Stir well between each round.
Season with 1 tsp salt (flat) and ½ tsp ground black pepper — but taste first. Parmesan is salty, so you might need less.

04:41 - Step 7: Finish it off
Pour in the last 70 g of pasta water if needed — just enough to loosen the sauce.
Add 20 g butter and stir until glossy and creamy.

And that’s it! Your creamy vodka pasta is done — spicy, smooth, and restaurant-worthy.

Tip: Want a non-vodka version? Check the website for easy swaps: https://vegtasty.com/gigi-hadid-pasta/