We tried the viral Gigi Hadid special pasta from Manhattan Express and here’s what we think….
During the global lockdown of 2020 due to Covid, people found themselves immersed in cooking, reading, drawing and unleashing their creativity. Among them was model Gigi Hadid, who took the opportunity to up her culinary skills. One particular dish that caught everyone’s attention was her spicy vodka pasta, featuring a creamy, cheesy, and spicy flavour combination. Gigi’s TikTok and Instagram posts showcasing the recipe quickly went viral.
The pasta has become a cult go to recipe for many of her fans but wait, many claim the recipe is a fad and there are many original Italian recipes that are much better and more flavourful.
Chefs all over the world have claimed the Gigi Hadid pasta is nothing new, in-fact it originated in Italy and is a creamy tomato-based sauce with main ingredients being an olive oil base with garlic, green onion, tomato paste, cream, pepper flakes, butter, basil and heaps of parmesan!
We Found The Gigi Hadid Pasta In Karachi!
Well we had to put it to the test but if like us, you can’t be bothered to make it from scratch and want it delivered, you can get it from Manhattan Express, Karachi. Located in Bukhari, DHA.
We discovered the Gigi Hadid pasta on Manhattan Express menu and you can also call them and request them to deliver the above. We were quite surprised though because we had not spotted it anywhere else.
Okay, it’s time for a lowdown on how delicious was it?
The Basics
The order was ready well in time, was delivered piping hot and they were kind enough to send in multiple forks and catered to our requests!
Serving Size & An Unexpected Addition
The serving size was more than enough for one, one serving can easily feed two people or more depending on your appetite. They also serve two bite sized pieces of garlic bread.
The garlic bread was soft, doused in flavour and melted at the first bite. But if you like your garlic bread to be super crispy you might not be too pleased.
First Glance and First Bite
The pasta at first glance is the fettuccine pasta with a tinge of orangey red sauce. So definitely not as pleasantly bright as the original recipe. When you first take a bite, you taste the herby sourness of the tomatoes which lasts a mere second or two and is followed by a overpowering kick of black pepper. The chef played with some strong black pepper in the recipe, that’s for sure.
Missing Flavour Notes
We missed the intense herby essence of basil, the hit of red chilli flakes, the green onion or the garlic! All these add ins are flavour packed ingredients but unfortunately, we missed the hit! Also, what’s a pasta without some extra (note: lots of) cheese?
Manhattan’s version of the Gigi Hadid pasta also added in some chicken bits. The chicken was a basic boiled or slightly grilled chicken with a faint flavour. It was mostly bland while some of FUCHSIA team members thought it was a bit sour too.
Final Thoughts
It was a basic version of a tomato sauce pasta with the black pepper hitting you like a truck.
The tomato sauce did taste slightly bland. Perhaps people who really love tomato based meals would love it. The pasta is known to be saucy and spicy with a dominant basil flavour and hence, we would have liked a stronger basil infused flavour as well, and some more garlic and cheese please! But we quite liked the garlic bread and two other items we ordered from Manhattan – their nachos and the Aglio Olio which were super delicious and flavourful.
We wonder if it was the fault in the stars of the recipe itself or the pasta from Manhattan! Let us know if you’ve tried making the original Gigi Hadid recipe?
You can check the Manhattan Express website here or call them and ask for their Gigi Hadid special!
