Gigi Hadid Pasta Vegan Edition

Gigi Hadid pasta, vegan edition. When I first saw the supermodel's Instagram recipe, I knew I had to re-create it in vegan form, and here we are!

Gigi Hadid Pasta?

If you're not really a huge fan of Instagram, or following supermodels for that matter, you may have missed out on Hadid's infamous pasta recipe.

Posted on her stories during the peak of what I think of as "COVID times", it's safe to say that foodies everywhere went nuts. Maybe we were all just hankering for comfort food, or maybe the people just love a pasta alla vodka.

Whatever the reason, it's since become famous as "Gigi Hadid Pasta" in the same way that Alison Roman's chickpea and turmeric stew is lovingly deemed "The Stew". If you know, you know.

Safe to say, this pasta has been re-created many times over, in many iterations. But despite it's popularity, I've yet to find an impressive vegan adaption. Needless to say, I set out to make one myself.

I think you'll like it. Like, really really like it. This pasta is:

• Creamy
• Savoury
• Has good depth, thanks to the vodka
• Healthier than the non-vegan version, thanks to healthy swaps
• Addictive enough to make again and again

What's in the Pasta?

• Olive oil: Used as the base of the sauce. My preferred brand is Red Island, and yes, it makes a difference!
• Garlic & Shallot: Adds depth and flavour. What is pasta without a fair serving of garlic?
• Nutritional Yeast: This creates the same sort of salty, savoury favour you'd expect from parmesan cheese. It can be found at most grocery stores in the health-food section, or at specialty health-food stores.
• Tomato Paste: I love using a good tomato paste to really take this pasta to the next level. Mutti is the undisputed king, in my option. You can use any other brand, but don't mistake it for passata or pasta sauce.
• Vodka: Vodka is the secret ingredient that makes this dish sign. You can also swap it for gin, or for an alcohol-free version use white vinegar instead.
• Cauliflower Florets: You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower here. I opted for frozen, since it's easier and cheaper but do what you want!
• Raw Cashews: Raw cashews are essential for making the creamy pasta sauce. Make sure they're raw, not roasted, so that they blend down nice and creamy.
• Chilli Flakes: Add a little bit of spice at the end. Feel free to omit if you're averse, or add more if you're a spice fiend.
• Pasta: You can use any shape you'd like. Gigi used shells, but I've gone for spirals for a bit of fun. This would also work well with macaroni or penne. The possibilities are endless.
• Basil: Adding fresh basil at the end finishes this pasta off with a nice, herbaceous flavour. Leave it out if you're not a fan, but I recommend it otherwise.

What Blender Should I Use?

To make this Gigi Hadid pasta vegan-ised, cauliflower and cashews are swapped the cream she used in her version.

To make sure that everything gets smooth and creamy, using a high-power blender is a must. I used my Vitamix, blending in two batches to get a smooth, liquid sauce. I think that a Nutribullet would also work, but you'd have to blend in smaller batches.

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📖 Recipe