Before the American model revealed that she was pregnant with her first child, Gigi Hadid took the internet by storm when she shared her favourite spicy vodka pasta recipe via her Instagram story which soon went viral.
When she recreated her pasta for her fans and followers, she noted that she did not have vodka in her home, so she would not be using it.
The other ingredients which she was out of were scallops, so she substituted them with a small red onion, and basil for garnish, which she swapped out for tomato and basil-flavoured tomato paste.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook until soft. Add tomato paste and cook until it appears “darker [in colour] / a bit caramelised”, says Hadid.
Add in the heavy cream. Add in the vodka and cook through until evaporated.
Add in the red pepper flakes. [There is a special note from the chef here to add in more flakes if you like your pasta extra spicy]. Keep stirring until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Remove sauce from the heat.
Cook pasta separately. The chef uses shells but Orecchiette would also work well. When the pasta is done, save ¼ of the pasta water before draining.
Add in the butter. Stir over a medium heat til the butter has melted and the sauce is “sauccyyyy”, says Hadid.
Add pasta – and the pasta water – to the sauce. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and basil to serve.
