The Chicken Dish Cher Is Famous For Among Her Friends

When you think of Christmas gift-giving, you most likely conjure images of wine bottles, candles, or other hosting gift ideas. But for singer-actress Cher, the holidays are the perfect occasion for her to cook a specific pasta dish that she loves to gift her closest pals. "I am famous among my friends for my chicken Bolognese. I even use my own Diva Pasta labels when I give out jars for Christmas," she told Us Weekly.

It's unclear when exactly Cher started her pasta-giving tradition, but surely her friends are lucky to receive her hand-prepared meal. Mother knows the difference between homemade and store-bought pasta sauce after all. She revealed on the "Table Manners" podcast with Jessie Ware and Lennie Ware that she makes her pasta sauce from scratch, which she learned from her ex-partner Sonny Bono's mother.

Aside from her friends, Cher seems eager to share her pasta recipe with other people. When she volunteered for the NYC nonprofit God's Love We Deliver in March 2025, she proudly named her chicken Bolognese sauce when asked about her favorite recipe in front of the other volunteers. Sadly, she didn't get the chance to prepare it for the organization's beneficiaries that year, so she wished the nonprofit would include more pasta dishes in its deliveries next time. 

During her guest appearance on the "Table Manners" podcast, Cher took the time to break down what goes into her jarred pasta. She said it starts with sauteing the onion and garlic, then she adds in the meat. She admitted that she used to cook the recipe using red meat or beef, but she eventually replaced it with chicken breast, likely after she embraced a healthier lifestyle. As part of this health-conscious shift, Cher now rarely imbibes drinks like alcohol, coffee, and even milk, but that's for another conversation. Anyhow, once the chicken's partly cooked, she adds in the tomato paste, then the tomatoes, followed by oregano, sweet basil, some Italian seasoning, and mushrooms.

Cher adds a little bit of water to the mix before switching the flame to high, letting it simmer for a while. She then taste-tests the sauce and makes some tweaks to achieve the flavor she likes. For her pasta, she prefers angel hair, but it seems her friends are not a fan of its thinness. In a photo of her pantry she shared on X (formerly Twitter), a stash of De Cecco-brand pasta and a pasta maker can be spotted. So, perhaps Cher has also prepared this dish with handmade pasta at some point.