Italian Cooking, Southern Style

Star Chef Frank Stitt, Of Birmingham, Ala., Shares Recipes Mixing Both, On The Early Show

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Balsamico

Serves 4 to 6

In cool weather, when you want a taste of the season, butternut squash lends an old-time country rusticity to dishes. Roast it until tender and season with sweet-tart balsamic vinegar and fruity olive oil for a slightly exotic, savory change of pace.

1 butternut squash, cut lengthwise in half, seeds and membranes removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Season the cut surfaces of the butternut squash with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until just soft.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, then cut the flesh into 2-inch chunks. Toss with the balsamic vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and serve.

Pasta Dough

Makes 12 ounces dough

Making pasta forces you to rely on your senses, especially touch. The goal is a smooth, elastic, slightly tacky dough. Factors like humidity and egg size are variable, so you may get a different result each time. As with anything else, with practice you'll learn to make the necessary adjustments, such as adding more or less flour, to yield perfect results. Here I provide both a hand and mixer method for making the dough.

Fresh pasta keeps from 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator covered with a damp towel; after that, it oxidizes, darkening in color, and gets tough. If you don't plan to cook it right away, freeze it on a baking sheet in a single layer until firm, then transfer to freezer bags. When ready to cook, drop it into boiling salted water right from the freezer-do not defrost.

1-3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
9 extra-large egg yolks

To make the dough by hand, mix the flour and salt and mound on a work surface. Make a well in the center, like the crater of a volcano. Place the egg yolks in the well and, using a fork, mix them together. Start gradually bringing in a little flour from the sides, then continue adding the flour bit by bit until the dough comes together and all the flour has been incorporated. Knead the dough, flouring the work surface as necessary, until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes; it will be a bit sticky. Shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the dough in a mixer, combine the eggs and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook and beat to break up the eggs. Gradually add the flour and mix until the dough just pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should still be a bit tacky to the touch. Do not overmix the dough, or it will become tough. Press the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered with a towel or plastic wrap. Sprinkle a portion of dough with a light dusting of flour, then pass it through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Lay the ribbon of dough on your floured surface and fold it in half, so that the ends meet, and pass it through the same setting a second time. Adjust your pasta machine down a setting and pass the sheet of pasta through. Fold it in half again and pass it through the same setting a second time. Continue in the same fashion until you have passed the sheet of pasta through the thinnest setting twice. When the dough sheet becomes too long to handle, cut it into manageable lengths. Transfer each finished sheet to a lightly dusted work surface and keep covered with a slightly dampened towel to keep the pasta from drying out while you roll out the remaining dough.

The pasta is ready to use.

Aurora Tart

Serves 10

Even my grown-up willpower is no match for this incredible caramel tart topped with praline-flecked whipped cream! You have to cook the caramel long enough so that it becomes dark and flavorful, but pay close attention-go too dark, and it becomes bitter.

For the Caramel Custard Filling
3 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
1 baked Basic Tart Shell, cooled (recipe below)
For the Chocolate Glaze
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Praline Cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter for the pan (unless using a silicone pan liner), softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup almonds or pecans, lightly toasted
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

To make the caramel custard, bring the heavy cream to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and keep the cream warm while you caramelize the sugar.

Put the sugar in a 2-quart saucepan and cook it over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until it dissolves and the caramel syrup turns dark amber, 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the warm cream to combine-be careful, the mixture will bubble up. If it seizes and hardens, stir it over low heat to liquefy the lumps of caramel, then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, and let the caramel cool for about 5 minutes so that it will not cook the eggs when added to them.

Whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly at first, then in a steady stream, add the warm caramel to the eggs, whisking constantly until incorporated. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve, then pour it into the prebaked crust in the springform pan.

Bake the tart, rotating the pan occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is just set-it should still jiggle slightly in the center when the pan is shaken. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To make the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate with the cream in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Add the vanilla and stir to blend.

Spread the warm glaze over the chilled custard in a thin layer, then chill the tart again for at least 1 hour.

To make the praline cream, line a 12-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with the butter, or line it with a silicone liner.

Put the sugar in a small heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it dissolves and the caramel turns light amber, about 6 minutes. Add the nuts and continue stirring over the heat, being very watchful, just until the sugar syrup turns dark amber, 1 minute more. Carefully pour the hot praline onto the lined pan, spreading it evening into a thin layer. Let it cool completely.

Break the praline into pieces and grind into a coarse powder in a food processor. (The praline powder can be made ahead and stored in a jar for several weeks at room temperature or frozen in an airtight container for 1 to 2 months.)

Whip the cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup of the praline powder.

Pipe or spread the praline cream over the chilled tart. Sprinkle the remaining praline powder over the top, and refrigerate the tart for at least 8 hours, or overnight. (The tart can be refrigerated for up to 2 days)

Serve chilled.

Basic Tart Shell

Makes one 10-1/2-inch tart shell

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
cut into cubes and chilled
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Whisk together the yolks, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl, add to the butter mixture, and pulse until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or overnight.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle, turning the dough with each roll to prevent it from sticking. Carefully drape the dough over the rolling pin and ease into a 10 1/2-inch springform pan, pressing it evenly over the bottom and up the sides. Chill the tart shell in the freezer for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line the tart shell with foil and weight with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the pastry is set and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 5 minutes longer, just to brown lightly. Cool on a rack before filling.