4 Levels of Pasta Bolognese: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious

We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur Emily, home cook Lorenzo, and professional chef instructor Frank Proto - to prepare a pasta Bolognese that would make nonna proud. Once each level of chef had served up and sampled their creations, we asked expert food scientist Rose to explain the choices each chef made along the way - both good and bad. Which pasta Bolognese are you bringing to Sunday dinner?
Director: Debra Remstein
DP: Jeremy Harris
Editors: Manolo Moreno
Talent -
L1: Emily Duncan
L2: Lorenzo Beronilla
L3: Frank Proto
Food Scientist: Rosemary Trout
Producer: Tyre Nobles
Culinary Producer: Mallary Santucci
Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity
Associate Producer: Michael Cascio
PM: Janine Dispensa
PC: Elizabeth Hymes
Cam Op: Lucas Young
Audio: Kurt Pierce
Post Production Supervisor: Stephanie Cardone
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: JC Scruggs
Video Copy ad Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao
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[@ItsLaxe]

we need a segment in these videos where everyone gets to taste each other’s food

[@andiethelion9369]

they are there at different days and times

[@dolphee]

If they can do chef vs home cook they can make a group of others

[@anotheryoutuber2463]

@@andiethelion9369 leftover challenge then

[@ansonng7213]

I think sometime it would be work but some times they may not be in total agreement on ingredients and technique

[@georgejung4115]

Or they can all meet up for each persons cooking day so it’ll be fresh. 1 person cooks, 2 people eat and rotate

[@MGD313]

She was behind at first, but Emily's culinary skills have started to ketchup.

[@EmilyDuncan]

ohhh ayyyy

[@bensong486]

@@EmilyDuncan Hi, Emily!

[@EmilyDuncan]

@@bensong486 Hi!

[@MSC813]

BWUAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@mrpriesident8452]

Brilliant. Good joke. Thank you.

[@SlothVsPlatypus]

The Emily Lorenzo frank combo is the absolute best! My wife's favorite combo of chefs

[@catlover-tc3ed]

There a good combo

[@bethanycooke2115]

Mine as well

[@markbradakis5521]

Now that Emily has been promoted to Level 2, we'll never see this trio again. Kind of sad, but so nice to see Emily advance!

[@aarontome3902]

1 is a chef the other two are not.

[@mytusak]

i love how they started to “communicate” with each other, commenting on their choice of ingredients

[@hey_petrichor]

Seeing them all agree on most of the steps is very reassuring and funny to watch them comment on each other

[@vangmayjayant1595]

Yeah, they've added much more reactions of one another and it really feels like a conversation. Really like it

[@emiel1206]

Yet they are all quite wrong. These recipes although they look delicious don't even come close to a bolognese

[@crs19191919]

@@emiel1206 right? Where's the Garlic?

[@milamberarial]

@@crs19191919 they all added garlic

[@enlightenedbanana]

⁠@@emiel1206what would you call a bolognese

[@eldibs]

Emily really thought out her ingredient and technique choices, even if some of the choices were "Because it's easy, cheap, and good enough."

[@Metal_Auditor]

Yeah, she's the only one who put milk in her sauce. I tried that last time I made a Bolognese lasagna, and it was a game-changer. Ricotta is probably good, but it's not authentic.

[@dilettaluna]

True! Incredibly, Emily's Bolognese sauce is somewhat as close to a real ragù as Frank's one (she got right adding milk, using less herbs and spices and a more common meat, Frank added the Parmigiano rinds as I do and browned well his meat. Lorenzo just chose the right pasta), .. as a professional cook from Bologna I was totally NOT expecting that!

[@FAT9L]

Just shows how much of a difference your planning and technique can make, even when using basic ingredients.

[@anjirikachan]

Yeah, it's a nice mix of being good enough but still accessible

[@katl8825]

Honestly I think the three chefs exemplify their levels. Level 1 is all about simple and easy but enjoyable. Level 2 is all about getting deeper into the recipe and tweaking it to be exactly how YOU like, regardless of what’s completely traditional. And Level 3 is our trained chef, putting thought into every layer of the dish and using the techniques of a professional. :) love Emily/Lorenzo/Frank combo for this reason!

[@MichaelRicksAherne]

The Dream Team! Yes! The only problem is that Emily has gotten so good she’s no longer a true Level 1.

[@riniakarui1082]

Right? She's more like lazy level 2

[@forrealamusiclover]

@@riniakarui1082 I love how you phrased it

[@person-vi6dm]

@@riniakarui1082 Agreed. If she gets better ingredients she's a 2

[@budurunnafis]

She's now level 2 guys

[@maximilianochung]

She is a level two on some videos~

[@elia6954]

I live in Bologna and I am pretty sure that Emily's sauce is the one that tastes the most like bolognese! I'm not saying it's the best, just the one with the most ingredients that actually go into traditional bolognese

[@lupodimontenero661]

^^ questi video mi spingono sempre a chiedermi: perchè stravolgere qualcosa che è già perfetto?

[@markantony3875]

@@lupodimontenero661 Esattamente

[@dannycalifornia1300]

@@lupodimontenero661 this is the right answer

[@dannycalifornia1300]

I love Bologna, before Covid would visit twice per year, in May/June, and then in September (as part of a longer trip to Cattolica for the MotoGP), I miss it so much, have to return soon. My favourite restaurants are the Al Sangiovese, and the Oberdan

[@guyvaderproductions8882]

I can tell you don't live in Bologna because none of these were traditional Bolognese. I've seen enough Italian chefs make Bolognese to know that milk does not go into it. Also, she used spaghetti noodles, that's not traditional.

[@MasterFhyl]

Heck yeah, we got the legendary trinity of chefs today!

[@ilselopez11]

Add there Rose's segment which I skip most of the time 😶

[@Bergen98]

Don’t disrespect Rose like that!

[@GtierGoes]

Ohmygod. That was my first thought! 🙌

[@GtierGoes]

@@Bergen98, Rose is good but she explains. She’s awesome! Like she’s higher (?) but the three cooks are amazing cookeries.

[@dhu2056]

The _mirepoix_ of chefs, if you will.

[@floreceyurit.2372]

This feels like seeing our old friend after a long time and still have a strong bond that brings happiness to each other. I will never get tired seeing them together in a vid, they are perfect.

[@sarahdoanpeace3623]

YES!

[@atomicxblue]

I finally realized why I like these videos. They don't look down on the level 1 chef for not knowing all of the tricks. Emily was trying her best and I wouldn't mind tasting what she cooked. It just feels more inclusive that everyone is able to cook, no matter what level they're at.

[@Ozzborn85]

Can I just say that montage and editing on this clip is impecable! Hat's of to whoever edited it - the similarities and differrences are shown masterfully

[@alienpotato1834]

Hi, I'm Emily: Yes! the ketchup queen Hi, I'm Lorenzo: OH MY GOD WAIT- Hi, I'm Frank: THE HOLY TRINITY IS HERE

[@jjkj8421]

Yeaa😁🔥

[@MusiciansRule07]

Oh, my God, we've got the Trio! This is amazing and I'm legit proud of Emily's progress as a chef. I'm so happy right now! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜👩🏿‍🎤

[@ricstefano]

was about to say. was half expecting ketchup in there.

[@moblinmajorgeneral]

The Holy Trinity

[@-chenlanying5818]

@@ricstefano 7:51 did he handmade them before or did he bought it ? I don't even know fresh packed pasta were a thing

[@thomaslee8088]

Agreed, Im a big fan of those three in particular

[@JayPeePee13]

The Holy Quartet with Rose!

[@chaido]

"It's very floppy now and ready to ride" I love how technical and scientific Emily is, I learn so much from her

[@adamdragontamer]

After watching like 7 of these videos today I have a lot of respect for my mom's cooking. I had no clue she was on par with all the Level 3 chefs. Thank you Mama! ❤

[@eleazarevanmoeljono8804]

You’re a lucky son, dude! ✨🥳

[@kaneshabarnes8930]

Frank’s reaction to Lorenzo using chicken 😂 “Who’s using chicken”

[@ecstaticryan4369]

This has gone on so long now that Emily is like level 2 by now

[@bloodyfitnerd1947]

It's weird, in these she's a lvl 1 chef, but she's a lvl 2 chef in the other style (cheap vs expensive stuff)

[@woodstream6137]

Ikr, I've never done a homemade pasta sauce.

[@QueenLila]

@@woodstream6137 that says a nothing about Emely but a lot about you. Makes you a lvl 0 chef.

[@fusingphil5032]

Honestly when you look at the way she cooks this pasta dish there are many reasons why she‘s level 1. It‘s simple and not advanced in any way.

[@bloodyfitnerd1947]

@@fusingphil5032 there's nothing advanced with the lvl 2 chef either tbf

[@rossjones1530]

I really like how this format doesn’t imply any approach is _better_ per se, but they’re just different. Honestly I’d use bits of all three recipes in my ideal bolognese.

[@etornamattipoe9378]

emily, lorenzo, and frank are the holy trinity of this series!

[@ignasicolominas4582]

I would love to see a taste test at the end, where all the chefs taste each other’s dishes and chat wether they’re worth the time-money to the taste 🤔

[@XekTOr89]

Weird how they haven't done that yet considering how long this series has been going for.

[@dhairyaagarwal5652]

I was about to comment the same thing, one of the best features of the cheap bs expensive videos

[@kamiphenonymous2855]

5 levels. Insane.

[@2ntwins]

I would imagine they film these on different days and times

[@kagani6202]

THEY SHOOT THESE ON DIFFERENT DAYS!!! How is that not painfully obvious to you?

[@muse129]

Emily is becoming more and more a level 2 chef with every episode!

[@somerandomguy84]

She's been level 2 the last couple years imo. At this point she's playing a level 1 character.

[@CoalEater_Elli]

True character development

[@FeOfTheElement]

hers is much better than level 2s here IMO

[@ocelotxp]

Because Lorenzo is an idiot

[@LECityLECLEC]

I like how the chefs are reacting to each other’s ingredients its hilarious we do need them to eat each other’s food if possible

[@varunmaheshwari5010]

These 3 chef together always bring smile on my face 🥰 Each of them have so unique quality and they always so wholesome

[@DRFOP]

Easily the best 3 for this show. I love how everyone trolls on Lorenzo's chicken.

[@belalabusultan5911]

the golden team is here ❤ - Emily - Lorenzo - Frank - Rose * yes, there are great and popular other chefs in their levels, but these three are the most poular. * No, Rose isn't the only food scientist shown in this series, there atleast is another one.

[@sarahdoanpeace3623]

Yes!

[@martynamaczyszyn]

There's two more. The baby face blonde and the dark-skinned one, whose voice reminds me a little bit of Julie, the level 2

[@fredrikhelland8194]

What’s the deal with everyone’s love for this Lorenzo fellow? Surely he must be high in something…

[@belalabusultan5911]

@@fredrikhelland8194 he's fun and funny.

[@belalabusultan5911]

@@martynamaczyszyn I don't know who do you mean by the baby-face blondie, and the (Dark-skinned) is too vague... there are many Black and Tan chefs in the show......

[@aubreymerrick6917]

I’m so excited to see these 3 together! They’re all so amazing and you can really see how much emily and Lorenzo have progressed and frank always has such yummy twists on recipes 🥰🥰

[@marlesimms]

The one thing I would love to see in this series is each cook / chef coming together after and trying each other's meal. It seems like the big enduring themes in these videos are a) there is dignity and joy in cooking no matter your experience doing it, and b) there's always more to learn

[@benjaminallen6901]

These 3 are my absolute favorite trio and they’re all so much fun. They’re engaged, educational, and funny all at the same time.

[@xballer1989]

I love all the presenters for 4 levels. This however is absolutely my dream team cast. Love all three of you.

[@MrSinister718]

This is the dream team.

[@leebaughan6626]

I've been waiting for this lineup since it began 😅

[@Quinton_ovo_]

"I love all the presenters for 4 levels." "Love all three of you." (I wonder who you forgot to count here 🤣)

[@xballer1989]

@@Quinton_ovo_ Rose is a universal constant. Rose is always love. Rose is always life. She needs no introduction.

[@MichaelaDPerry]

So I just tried to make this for the first time. I did boxed rigatoni, but for the sauce I added white wine and ricotta like Lorenzo and canned tomato paste like Emily. Ended up delicious! I’m glad I finally tried one of these dishes on my own 😊

[@annamartina2000]

It's been 2 years since I last watched an amateur vs home cook vs expert video and I'm glad Emily improved a bit! 🥳

[@emilyke5761]

Emily's version seems so nice, it's like I would make it. So much progress! Congrats Emily!

[@EmilyDuncan]

Hey, thanks! ;)

[@MaskedDeath_]

@@EmilyDuncan Your version of the pasta is extremely close to the one I'd eaten all childhood

[@dilettaluna]

@@EmilyDuncan as a professional chef from Bologna, I must say you did a pretty good job, I think I'd even be adventurous enough to try it! 😉

[@EmilyDuncan]

@@dilettaluna I'm honored!

[@kr5754]

@@EmilyDuncan as someone who lives in bologna, your sauce was very good, but please dont use spaghetti hahah try with fresh tagliatelle

[@lavendernoodlecoffee]

How blessed are we to have this trio making some comfort food for us today and then to top it off we got Rose *chefs kiss* 👩🏽‍🍳😘

[@derekkee5588]

The four true stars of this series 🙌🏼 I could watch these four for eternity, multiple times over

[@Rai_iaR]

I love the high amount of "conversation" all three chefs have with each other throughout their cooking

[@eldochaus]

Emily, Lorenzo, Frank, and Rose: The definitive Quartet

[@shaman9]

Emily, Lorenzo, Frank and Rose? I didnt know this was an all-stars season

[@Marcoarrabal]

Emily needs to be oficially promoted to Level 2. She rules.

[@Dovecar388]

None of these sauces would be called Bolognese here in Europe

[@markantony3875]

Yeah, all three of them would get deported from Italy for food crimes. 🤣

[@AlaiMacErc]

@@markantony3875 LOL.

[@EfikZara]

I love this series so much, but when will you all bring back the “Price Points” series?? 🥺

[@doctordewm3341]

I was expecting Emily to make Pasta and Ketchup for her bolognese... then Lorenzo with sweet Filipino sauce for his bolognese... and Chef Frank for the elevated version of the bolognese.

[@RAGEAlanBun]

I’d love to see this series if they either gave all 3 dishes to a 5th person to do a blind review, or all 3 chefs tried each one to get their reactions to the different recipes.

[@DK-qj7cr]

Yes!!! They should blindly taste tests each other’s 😎👍🏼👍🏼

[@michaelsalmon6436]

Wow! This was a great, great KZbin. So informative. Congrats to the Epicurious Team for this epic and I cannot wait for another! How about doing a Turkey on 3 different levels? Again, thanks for this. Mark me down as a happy subscriber who loves to compare notes with chefs of all levels!

[@daisybuchanan8205]

I just love these three together.

[@dilettaluna]

Professional chef from Bologna here. I love you all dearly, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Should I...? :D EDIT: I still love you all dearly guys, but... Let's not talk about this anymore, please! 😆

[@clarifari1456]

What are some of the things they did wrong?😆

[@dilettaluna]

And I won't even start on Lorenzo's take, I like the guy too much, better look the other way.. But I think I'll start having nightmares about chicken and spicy sausages in my ragù 🤣

[@xiaoyu88]

@@dilettaluna As a person who loves his ragu more than life itself, would you care sharing your own recipe, sir? I'd Love to try a real one! Or your restaurant, I shall come and visit.

[@eunnice67]

@@clarifari1456 The mistake is calling it Bolognese 😬

[@dilettaluna]

For preparation you start by browning very well your meat with 3 tbsps of evoo. If your pan is not big enough to arrange meat in a single layer, I vividly recommend working in batches, because this step is really important to achieve a good flavour. Then scoop meat out, leaving any fat in the pan. Add butter and the minced vegetables and sauté them on medium heat, salting lightly and stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and everything starts to caramelize slightly. If your pan is not big and tall enough, at this point you may want to transfer your soffritto + meat to a bigger pot, mix and heat them together, then add tomato paste and mix well. Let tomato paste cook really well, it should change colour and smell lightly toasted, then pour wine and let it evaporate, always stirring from time to time. Add enough broth to barely cover the meat/veggie/tomato mixture, add a generous pinch of salt and grind some black pepper. Let then cook your ragù-to-be over the faintest heat for not less than 2-2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if drying too much. When you taste it's almost "there", finally add milk and let cook for a further 30 minutes. Taste to check saltiness and... there you have it, the most traditional ragù bolognese! And, as Chef Frank correcly said, if you happen to have a piece of rind of real Parmigiano Reggiano... wash it well and add it to you preparation when you add the broth, it will give your ragù the most amazing boost. I hope you''ll try and be happy with it, lots of love from Bologna!

[@johnedwinlegaspi8447]

Oohhhh the crowds favorite. The trio! Emily, Lorenzo and Frank. And also Rose. 😅 haha

[@Samulisami]

Emily, Lorenzo and Frank are my undisputed favorite trio! Great episode!

[@kirstinmckeown3581]

So nice to see everyone, and I love that when they critique the other's choices, they're informative and supportive!

[@jamescanjuggle]

its interesting to see the shot over each chef adding their ingredients to the pot, the amature and the professional had nearly identical shapes!

[@karenb2782]

My 3 favorite participants. Thanks for the fun, and the good information!

[@rp3740]

It's so fun watching them comment on each others' techniques 😍😍😍

[@ElBigRican]

My absolute favorite trio. When it's them three, i click immediately.

[@arshad887]

Honestly think this was the best episode of the series because of how they were all somewhat connected

[@sarahdoanpeace3623]

YES! I completely agree!

[@jeffhappens1]

Who ever edits, they are awesome and the video is so seamless thanks to them. Shout out to Manolo Moreno

[@Suchoj]

Man, Emily has grown so much 💖 Doing her sauce with mirepoix from scratch

[@ThatchNetherfold]

Emily is actually peak level 1 chef, she knew that there are things best made from scratch, but more aware of the perks of being level 1 is.

[@thuyanhle7104]

OMG YESSSSSSSS a new vid!!! Also I hope we can get to see Chef Hideyo from the Sushi episode again

[@watermain48]

I've missed watching the three of them for quite a while. The three of them put on a great show. Emily is truly something...

[@lincolnclementi346]

The Holy Trinity of Epicurious! My favourite group altogether!

[@Zoe-fu7bt]

Frank, Lorenzo, and Emily are the PERFECT combination. ❤️

[@wehcd]

Everyone's so happy in the comments watching this favourite trio of Emily, Lorenzo and Frank! ❤️

[@hongkongfueynz3071]

I’m so glad to see them not worrying too much about peeling the vegetables. I always leave them on (when it can) and the skins are so good for you!

[@dom7488]

emilys technique is getting so much better since the first time i saw her on the show. shes made so much progress for real 👏

[@yukinoleia]

Emily, great!... I hope there's Lorenzo.. Yay!... Omg what if... Yeeers, that's Frank! 🤩😍 First 14 seconds and I'm already the happiest person on Earth for the next couple of hours! Thanks for bringing the best trio ever back together!!!

[@PamelaRubel]

The magic trio! I love them!! Absolutely need to try the versions, but Frank's will be the hardest

[@zieroze]

i have watched these videos for awhile. emily,,, you’re doing great sweetie. you’ve grown so much. idk why i feel proud, but i do.

[@Bergen98]

Did we just get the HOLY QUARTET of this channel in one video?!?! Thank you, Epicurious!!

[@Karkus8646]

The platinum trio... Love to see them together....

[@valdeschmitt900]

Yesss give us the forbidden trio!!! Give us more of them togheter!

[@ambotngababoy]

I miss seeing all you three. ive been bingeing Chef Protocooks because it's soothing

[@Steveofthejungle8]

Emily, Lorenzo, and Frank? THE HOLY TRINITY

[@LarryCroft111]

Great video once agian! Frank's pasta looks great with the ability to catch all the sauce. Gotta try that one day. Also I like to add a bit of balsamic vinegar to the sauce since it's sweet, acidic and comes from grapes. Really suplements everything in there!

[@piaandluna]

Such a great video! Never made bolognese, but after seeing the video I attempted and it came out good!. Love seeing all their techniques and ingredients used which I was able to recreate in my own kitchen!

[@morgothbaugiir3972]

These recipes are a lie. They are not authentic Bolognese. Vincenzo’s Plate shows you the real way to cook it with an Italian from Bologna, Italy. Do yourself a huge favor and try the real recipe. You won’t go back to this abomination.

[@Caspelwasnotavailable]

People talking about how this is a holy trinity, this is a squad with Emily, Lorenzo, Frank, and Rose Mary

[@DizzyedUpGirl]

Emily, Lorenzo and Frank! PERFECTION!

[@opinionexpresser2413]

this video just made my day. Thank Epicurious Gods 😶🙌

[@knndyskful]

EMILY, LORENZO AND CHEF FRANK!!! 👏🙌 this is the trio I’ve waited for

[@larrymike5633]

i love how they’re all shading each other

[@silviaar1585]

I just live these three guys together! Emily has improved her techniques!!!!

[@GtierGoes]

Holy trinity of cookery and witty stuff!

[@pokemaster2185]

I like that the three chefs have started reacting to what they’re all doing.

[@mcvoid_]

I love the way each chef appreciates their own food as much as the other. That's kinda beautiful lol.

[@erickchow6432]

Frank, Lorenzo, and Emily are like the Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman of the 4 Levels Series :D

[@azrafrahman5986]

You know you are going to enjoy the episode when Emily is there, #stanemily

[@YanaYarotska-]

Yaay, favorite trio is here😍

[@miloxxxyloto]

I just did a marathon of this series. 😎

[@quinnw6795]

Love this video Emily is amazing Lorenzo is amazing, frank is amazing just everything is great 😊

[@skinnylegend3487]

Emily needs to be level 2 asap. Especially the level 1 who made an icecream sandwich.

[@legasy825]

Got so excited when I realized my favorite set of chefs are here

[@Heartwing37]

Emily has grown as a chef!!!! Her explanation of a mirepoix warmed my heart!

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Those all look marvelous, and I love seeing Lorenzo.

[@yamomwasthebomb7159]

We got the band back together!

[@mccorama]

Inspiring to see three ways of doing this which all work in their own ways!

[@Dr_Ragon]

the best three chefs! perfect lineup

[@ElderDragonBrasil]

Bolognese needs at least 5 hours of cooking the ragu. I am really happy to see all the three doing the sofrito correct.

[@lakunas23]

Where they got the garlic, parley, chicken stock, anchovies, paprika, cheese rinds, ricotta, Mexican chillies, bouquet garni and basil from is beyond me. And Lorenzo made chicken chilli... I feel for people from Bologna...

[@lupodimontenero661]

eheheh so true

[@mariedrudi4889]

EMILY & LORENZO & FRANK!? THE GOLDEN TRIO!

[@manny9639]

Frank making orrechiete was simply amazing, I want to mimic Frank now, what a legend and down to earth chef ❤

[@marljevincalabia3746]

Emily, Lorenzo and Frank. This is the most fun line up. Haha

[@lopezjus]

Would love to see Lorenzo’s version of Filipino spaghetti!🍝