Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta

Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta – On Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, host Charlie welcomes Megan Seppmann, Chief Commercial Officer of the Wisconsin Center District. Megan shares her family spin on a spicy, veggie-forward bolognese featuring chicken meatballs, ground beef, roasted poblano peppers, and jalapeño-stuffed olives.

Megan at Home

Between cooking steps, Megan discusses her Minnesota roots, hospitality career, and how the Baird Center and other venues are driving Milwaukee’s growth as a convention destination.

The episode blends cooking, community leadership, and local pride as the hosts taste the finished dish and talk about the city’s culinary scene, events, and the personal stories behind the recipe.

You can also listen to the audio version of this episode here –

Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta

Megan’s husband, Omar Naimi, and Megan believe that food is the universal translator and that most things can be solved by sitting down and enjoying a meal together.

Below is a recipe that they use from time to time as a reference, but always add a little love, whatever feels right to spice it up. They never make the same recipe twice, and there is a joke in the house that they can never replicate a meal.

Homemade Bolognese Style Pasta Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery stalk
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound chicken meatballs
• 1 bottle red wine, part for the sauce, part to drink
• 2 jars of Fra Diavolo sauce
• 1 pound of pasta, cooked al dente
• Parmigiano, grated for serving
• Fresh basil

Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta Instructions

Step one – Add the olive oil to a large pan and place over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, pepper, garlic, and chili flakes and cook for 5 minutes.

Step two – Add the beef and chicken meatballs to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until no longer raw on the outside.  The meat does not need to be browned.  Add the wine, stir, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10 minutes to cook off the alcohol and reduce the liquid.

Step three – Add the jar of Fra Diavolo sauce. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cover the pan with a lid and simmer while you prepare the pasta.

Step four – Prepare the pasta of your choice al dente.  Serve the Bolognese over pasta and sprinkle with Parmigiano and basil. Add as many breadsticks as you would like.

Step four – Finish your bottle of wine… and maybe open a second 

Homemade Bolognese Pasta Sauce

Authentic Bolognese—known in Italy as Ragù alla Bolognese—is often misunderstood outside of Italy. While global versions lean heavily on tomato sauce and ground beef over spaghetti, true Bolognese is a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce accented with tomato, originating from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

What Makes It the Authentic Bolognese?

In 1982, the Italian Academy of Cooking officially registered the traditional recipe with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce to preserve its legacy.

• It’s Meat-Forward, Not Tomato-Heavy: Tomatoes play a supporting role. The base relies on concentrated tomato paste (estratto) or a touch of passata rather than jars of marinara.
• Milk is Essential: Whole milk is added during the cooking process. It tenderizes the meat fibers and tempers the acidity of the wine and tomatoes, yielding a velvety texture.
• The Pasta Pairing: Traditional ragù is almost always served with fresh egg tagliatelle or layered into lasagna. The broad, rough surface of egg pasta holds the heavy meat sauce; slippery dried spaghetti simply lets the sauce drop to the bottom of the bowl.

The Secret is Time: High heat ruins a ragù. A great Bolognese needs to cook gently over low heat for 2 to 4 hours, allowing the collagen to break down and the liquids to reduce into a thick, glossy sauce.

Adding milk to a traditional Ragù alla Bolognese might sound unusual if you are used to tomato-heavy red sauces, but it is one of the foundational secrets to authentic Italian ragù.

Why Milk is Used in Homemade Bolognese Style Pasta

Milk serves three distinct culinary functions in a long-simmered ragù:

• Tenderizes the Meat: Milk contains lactic acid and natural fats that break down tough muscle fibers in ground beef or pork, resulting in a rich, velvety texture rather than chewy meat crumbles.
• Tames Acidity: Tomatoes and wine introduce high acidity to the pot. Milk acts as a natural buffer, rounding out the sharp edges and balancing the flavor without adding refined sugar.
• Creates Emulsion & Richness: As the milk simmers down and combines with the rendered animal fat and gelatin, it forms a glossy, cohesive emulsion that helps the meat cling smoothly to pasta.

When to Add It During Cooking

Timing is crucial. Adding milk at the wrong stage can cause it to curdle aggressively or boil the meat instead of searing it.

1. Brown the Soffritto and Meat: 10–15 minutes. Sauté your diced onion, celery, and carrot (soffritto) in oil or butter, then add the ground meat and pancetta. Cook until the meat loses its raw pink color and the moisture evaporates.

2. Add the Milk FIRST: 15–20 minutes. Pour in the milk before the wine and tomatoes. Allow the milk to simmer gently until it has completely evaporated and absorbed into the meat, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the Wine: 10–15 minutes. – Once the milk has fully absorbed, pour in your dry white or red wine and let it simmer until it evaporates completely.

4. Add Tomato & Slow-Simmer: 2 to 4 hours. Stir in your tomato paste or passata, lower the heat to the absolute lowest setting, and let it barely bubble for several hours.

Why Milk Before Wine? Adding milk before acidic ingredients (like wine or heavy tomato) prevents the milk proteins from curdling instantly. Letting the meat absorb the milk first locks in tenderness before acid hits the pot.

Combine rich ground meat with a fiery tomato sauce by browning ground beef or Italian sausage with onions and garlic, adding plenty of crushed red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Simmer until thick, toss with your favorite cooked pasta, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Authentic Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or spicy Italian sausage
• 1 pound pasta (spaghetti or penne)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for spice)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or peeled whole tomatoes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh basil or parsley for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions for Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta

• Cook the Meat: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef or sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook until fully browned, then drain excess fat if needed. Remove the meat and set aside.
• Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft. Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
• Build the Spice & Flavor: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.
• Simmer the Sauce: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the cooked meat back into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
• Combine with Pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve a half-cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and toss it directly into the meat sauce with a splash of the pasta water. Serve hot with fresh herbs.

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If you like this recipe, Homemade Bolognese-Style Pasta, you will also enjoy trying our other recipes. This is our recipe for Bigos, the Polish National Dish. Or maybe try some Fire Roasted Lamb Chops from Sweden. Or maybe you would like a Big Mac Salad.

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