Supermodel Gigi Hadid has blessed the world with her insanely delicious spicy vodka pasta sauce recipe. With heavy cream, parmesan cheese and butter, the recipe is far from vegan, so let’s make a healthy plant-based version!

In case you needed another reason to curl up with a big bowl of pasta, Gigi Hadid has gone on her instagram stories and showed us her family favorite Spicy Vodka Pasta recipe. The simple and delicious pasta recipe has been seen all over TikTok and Instagram since, and I thought I’d try my hand at making a vegan version!

What’s In Gigi’s Spicy Vodka Pasta Sauce?

The original recipe is as follows:

Makes 2

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
1 small clove of garlic, diced
¼ onion, diced
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vodka
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
225 grams of shells pasta
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Basil, chopped, to serve
Salt and pepper to taste

As a plant-based food blogger who avoids oil in my recipes, I saw this as quite the fun challenge. In this case, we need to replace the heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese but still create a reach velvety vodka sauce.

gigi hadid's pasta vegan

How To Make This Recipe Vegan

To make Gigi’s Spicy Vodka Pasta recipe vegan, we made a few simple swaps while still maintaining the integrity of the original recipe. I wanted to make sure that the recipe was both vegan, and a lot healthier for you to serve my whole-food, plant-based, oil-free readers.

Instead of olive oil, I simply sauted the garlic and onion in water. You can learn more about our oil free cooking approach here.

In place of cream, I used a mix of unsweetened almond milk (you could use cashew or soy milk as well), and refrigerated coconut milk for extra creaminess.

Finally, instead of parmesan cheese, I topped my pasta with nutritional yeast at the end which gave it the perfect cheesy flavor.

I have to admit, this recipe is INSANELY delicious, and one that will no doubt be on repeat in our kitchen.

How To Thicken The Pasta Sauce 

If the sauce isn’t as thick as you would like, you can thicken the sauce by adding a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch, arrowroot flour, or tapioca starch. 

To make the thickener, mix the thickening agent with a little bit of water or broth and then stir it into the pasta!

gigi hadid's pasta vegan

Can I Make This Recipe Without Vodka?

I had some vodka on hand, and the recipe only calls for a teaspoon, so I did use vodka in my rendition of this recipe.

With that said, you can totally make this spicy sauce with no vodka by using a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar instead. It all depends on your preference and whether you have access to the ingredient or not!

Why You’ll Love This Veganized Version

  • Simple: This recipe takes less than 25 minutes start to finish and uses just a few whole-foods, plant-based ingredients to get the job done!
  • Healthy: We’ve cleaned up the original recipe which uses heavy cream and cheese to make a healthified plant-based version.
  • Customizable: You can make this recipe your own by adding any of your favorite vegetables like red peppers, basil or even peas.
  • Meal Prep Friendly: This vodka pasta would make an amazing meal prep dish to look forward to all work week long!

If you like this simple pasta recipes, we have lots more vegan renditions that you’ll adore. Try out our:

How To Make This Recipe Gluten-Free

You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by substituting whole wheat pasta for gluten-free pasta! I still recommend using penne. 

Also, if you’re using vodka, make sure your vodka is gluten-free too! 

How To Store This Vodka Pasta Sauce

For storing this vegan vodka sauce, I love to use mason jars! You can keep this sauce for up to a week in the fridge. You can also freeze this sauce for up to two months. 

For storage longer than a few days, I recommend storing the sauce separately from the pasta and making fresh pasta when you are ready to munch. 

If mason jars aren’t your style, check out my other favorite eco-friendly meal prep containers!

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If you’re searching for more simple plant-based recipes that are simple to make, and insanely delicious, we have a weekly plant-based meal plan subscription that equips you with a shopping list and plan each week. You can snag that here: plantyou.com/whole-foods-plant-based-meal-plans

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gigi hadid's pasta vegan

The Recipe: Gigi Hadid's Spicy Vodka Pasta Sauce Recipe, Veganized

A vegan and healthier version of Gigi Hadid's spicy vodka pasta recipe.
4.80 from 169 ratings
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Servings: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat penne, dry
  • ¼ white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 tsp vodka
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 tbsp coconut milk, full fat
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or more for preference
  • ¼ cup reserved pasta water
  • ½ tsp salt, to taste
  • 1 handful spinach , or basil
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Instructions 

  • Cook your pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/4 a cup of pasta water before draining.
  • In a pan over medium heat, saute the diced onion and garlic until translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste and stir, followed by the vodka, almond milk and coconut cream. Mix until a sauce is formed, then add the red chili flakes, salt and pepper.
  • Pour in the reserved pasta water and cooked penne to the pan. Stir until the pasta is coated, adding a handful of spinach or fresh basil in at the end. Serve with nutritional yeast and more salt and pepper as desired.
Calories: 432kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 10g
Cuisine: Italian
Course: dinner
Author: carleigh

 

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