Lady Gaga's Secret Bolognese Sauce Ingredient Is So Relatable

"I love connecting with my culture, ❤️" @ladygaga dished to her 43 million Instagram followers earlier this week.

And she did just that by whipping up a classic Italian dinner featuring Bolognese sauce—the meat and tomato mixture that many nonnas pass down from generation to generation. (ICYMI, the actress and singer was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, and both of her parents are of Italian heritage.)

Traditional Bolognese recipes from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy call for a mix of diced veggies, ground beef, piles of tomatoes and most often red wine. But Lady Gaga, ever the innovator, decided to spiff things up for summer with rosé wine.

EatingWell Test Kitchen manager Breana Killeen notes that wine lends acidity and depth of flavor to all sorts of dishes. Red wine is common in Bolognese—try it in our Quick Pasta Bolognese recipe—but Killeen says Gaga may have reached for rosé because "it was what was in her glass at the time." She adds, "And it does the trick. In fact, British chef Mary Berry swears white wine should be added to Bolognese." (See our Ragù alla Bolognese or our Vegan Mushroom Bolognese to sample a white wine ragù.)

Regardless of the reason Lady Gaga chose rosé, we love the mindset of experimenting in the kitchen, especially if it involves using up items that would otherwise go to waste. So if you pop open a bottle of wine but just want to savor a glass or two, try any variety you like to sip in your sweet and savory wine-infused recipes. Many recipes, including granitas, sorbets and even pan sauces, may work with a different varietal than you might immediately reach for. Cheers to celebrities who continue to give us great pandemic cooking inspiration!