Yes, The Milk Curdles And It’s Completely Magical
If you’ve never braised meat in milk before, prepare to be amazing. This milk-braised pork pasta takes one of Italy’s most comforting home-cooked dishes and turns it into a ragù that practically begs to be on repeat all fall and winter.
The pork comes out impossibly tender (it shreds with nothing more than a fork!), the sauce is rich without a drop of cream, and every ruffle of mafaldine gets coated in savory, nutty goodness. Then a shower of lemony walnut gremolata wakes the whole bowl right up. Definitely worthy of special occasions, but graciously most of the work happens while the pot simmers quietly on the stove. 😉
For this recipe, boneless pork shoulder (also sold as pork butt or Boston butt) is the way to go. A leaner cut like pork loin will dry out. Cut the shoulder into large, roughly 2-inch chunks and trim any thick, hard pieces of fat. Leave the marbling, though. That’s flavor!
I’ve Literally Been Testing This Recipe For Years
Maiale al latte (literally “pork in milk”) is a traditional dish from Emilia-Romagna where a pork roast braises slowly in milk until the meat is spoon-tender. It’s typically sliced and served with the golden milk sauce spooned over top. But six years ago — right when we moved to Montclair, NJ — I had it in the form of pasta at Da Pepo, a local Italian restaurant that, sadly, did not survive.
The pasta was revelatory, with meltingly tender and deeply savory pork shoulder, some mushrooms and broccoli rabe stirred in, and creamy burrata on top. I still dream of this pasta and have been working to recreate it for years. I finally accomplished that goal, and it’s become one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes.
Let’s Make It!
Transfer the pork to a plate, but leave all those yummy juices in the pan.
Leaving the lid ajar lets the sauce slowly reduce and concentrate while keeping the pork moist, so don’t seal the pot completely.
My other important tip? A gentle stir every 20-30 minutes will keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Milk solids like to settle, so this helps avoid anything burning. Curdling, however, is completely normal and expected. They’ll melt back into the sauce.
Be sure to cook the pasta just shy of al dente, as it will cook a bit further when finished in the pot with the pork ragu. If you don’t have pasta, try pappardelle, tagliatelle, rigatoni, or paccheri.
I’m such a big fan of topping pastas with homemade gremolata. I love the bright, fresh flavor that herbs and lemon zest add, but it’s the texture of crunchy walnuts that I cannot resist.
Make It A Complete Meal
Serve this pasta in shallow bowls with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano and a generous spoonful of gremolata on top. And if you’re feeling extra (we always are!), tear a ball of cool, creamy burrata over each bowl just before serving.
Because this is such a rich main, pair it with something crisp and bright. Charred radicchio salad with balsamic vinaigrette is fantastic. For a cozier spread, add a side of tender roasted fennel with Parmesan.
Want to skip the pasta? Milk-braised pork is also incredible spooned over creamy Parmesan polenta.
Wine pairing: Pour a medium-bodies Italian white with some texture, like Verdicchio or Fiano. I’ve served it with a bubbly Lambrusco and that was also fantastic!
It’s impressive, hands-off, and even better made a day ahead.
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Milk-Braised Pork Pasta (Maiala al Latte Ragù)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Ragù
- 2½ – 3 lb (1.1 – 1.4kg) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2-inch (5cm) chunks
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced, about 1½ cups
- 2 large carrots, diced, about 1 cup
- 2 celery stalks, diced, about 1 cup
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 cup (240ml) dry white wine, something good enough to drink (I like a Pinot Blanc here)
- 3 cups (720ml) whole milk
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ~20 fresh sage leaves
- 8 oz (227g) cremini, baby bella, or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
For the Pasta
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, about 1 lb / 454g
- 1 lb (454g) dried mafaldine or a short, ridged pasta
For Serving
- ½ cup (50g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (10g) flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (15g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
- 2 tsp lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
- 1 clove of garlic, grated (optional – omit if you’re sensitive to raw garlic)
- High-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 8oz burrata cheese, room temperature
Instructions
- Season and rest the pork. Pat the pork chunks dry, then generously season on all sides with 2-3 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Let the pork sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes while you prep the veggies. Tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine.
- Sear the pork. Heat 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil and 1 Tbsp (14g) butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, sear the pork in batches until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Turn the heat down to medium. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, and smashed garlic to the same pot. Season with about ½ tsp kosher salt, then sauté, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until soft and the onion is translucent.
- Deglaze. Pour in 1 cup (240ml) of white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the milk. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in 3 cups (720ml) whole milk, then add 2 dried bay leaves, the thyme-rosemary bundle, and the loose sage leaves. Bring to a bare simmer.
- Braise. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Simmer gently for 2½-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the pork shreds easily with a fork.
- Sauté the mushrooms. While the pork braises, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp (14g) butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, until a deep brown crust forms. Toss, then cook another 3-4 minutes until caramelized. Set aside.
- Blanch the broccoli rabe. Also during the braise, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and set up a large bowl of ice water. Trim about 1 inch (2.5cm) from the rabe stems. Blanch for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender, then move it straight into the ice bath with tongs or a spider. Keep the pot of water at a simmer, since you’ll cook the pasta in it. Once the rabe is cool, squeeze out as much water as you can, then chop it into bite-size pieces. Squeeze hard here: any water left in the broccoli rabe will thin the sauce.
- Shred and combine. Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves. The sage leaves can stay, because they soften into the sauce. Use two forks to shred the pork directly into the sauce then fold in the mushrooms. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Make the gremolata. In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup chopped walnuts, ⅓ cup chopped parsley, ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tsp grated lemon zest, 1 clove of grated garlic (optional), and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- Toss and serve. Return the blanching water to a boil and cook the mafaldine until just shy of al dente, 1-2 minutes under the package time. It will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup (240ml) pasta water then drain. Add the pasta and broccoli rabe to the ragù and toss over low heat, adding a couple splashes of pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the ruffles. Divide among bowls and top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and generous spoonfuls of the gremolata. As always with pasta, I like to finish with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, a pinch or two of flaky sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Burrata: Optional, but cool, creamy burrata on top is highly recommended. Not included in nutritional information.
- Make ahead: Braise, shred, and combine up to 3 days ahead; flavors deepen overnight. Cook pasta and blanch rabe fresh to serve.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate tossed pasta airtight up to 3 days; store gremolata separately.
- Freeze: Freeze the ragù (no pasta or rabe) up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Warm gently over low heat with a splash of milk or pasta water until glossy.
Nutrition
Photography by Megan McKeehan.
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