THE Dish: Chef Fabio Viviani's Ultimate Thanksgiving

(CBS News) Chef Fabio Viviani was born and raised in Italy and moved to California in 2005, at the age of 27.

Now, just seven years later, he is the executive chef and owner of two Los Angeles restaurants -- Cafe Firenze and Osteria Firenze. He is also set to open a new restaurant in Chicago.

He appeared in season five of Bravo's reality series, "Top Chef," earning the "Fan Favorite" title. Then, he returned to Bravo in 2010 to compete in their "Top Chef All Stars" edition and his reality show, "Life After Top Chef" is now airing on Bravo.

He stopped by "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to serve up his ultimate Thanksgiving dish.

Blog: "What's Cooking"
Special section: Food and Wine

RECIPES

Pumpkin Agnolotti with Truffle Butter

If you thought we could go through November without talking about pumpkin, you must be crazy! You are going to love this, one of my favorites!! The agnolotti with truffle butter is so creamy that you won't be able to keep the smile off of your face... Feed pumpkin to your pumpkin.

Serves 6

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 recipe fresh pasta

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup soft fresh goat cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 egg, for egg wash

Truffle butter:

1 tablespoon truffle butter

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1. Sprinkle a baking sheet with some of the cornmeal and set aside. Cut ball of pasta dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rectangle about the size of a deck or cards. Cover dough with plastic wrap while working. Roll rectangle of dough through widest setting of pasta machine 3 times, until smooth. Continue rolling it through, decreasing setting each time until you have reached the thinnest setting. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with cornmeal, gently fold, and set on cornmeal lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Continue rolling out the rest of the pasta until all 8 pieces have been rolled out.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, mascarpone cheese, goat cheese, and season with the black pepper. Stir to combine and set aside. In a small bowl, beat egg with 1 tsp. water.

3. To form agnolotti, place sheet of pasta on dry work surface. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire sheet of fresh pasta with the egg wash. Place rounded teaspoons (about 1oz) of the pumpkin filling on the pasta sheet, about 2 inches apart. Carefully place another sheet of pasta over the mounds, smoothing out any air pockets and firmly sealing the pasta around the filling. Using a scalloped pasta cutter cut the pasta into small squares. Transfer the agnolotti to the cornmeal lined baking sheet. Continue forming the remaining agnolotti.

4. To serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. While the pasta cooks, gently mix together all the truffle butter ingredients in a medium serving bowl. Drain the pasta, using a large mesh strainer or slotted spoon, and transfer them to the serving bowl with the truffle butter. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Spiced Slow Roasted Beef with Pumpkin

Let us slow cook some beef and mix with rich pumpkin so we can really reward ourselves for the busy days we have all had this holiday season. While your beef is cooking, kick back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine.

Serves 4

3 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

2 lbs. pc of beef roast cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons extra virgin Bertolli olive oil or any other oil with strong olive flavor

2 shallots roughly chopped

2 cup of chopped parsley

6 cipollini onions quartered

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 cup of tomato sauce (canned is fine)

4 cups pumpkin cubed in 3/4 of an inch pieces

1. Rub the beef with all the first 7 ingredient mixed together

2. In a dutch oven add the oil and heat that on medium fire, add the beef and cook till it start to be golden brown, take it out and set aside

3. Add onion, shallots and garlic, caramelize them

4. Add the beef back and add broth and tomato sauce, bring to boil

5. Add pumpkin and cover, reduce heat and keep cooking for about 15/20 minutes till the pumpkin is fork tender

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce

I cannot think of a better way to honor my Nonna than with the recipe she gave me. Her recipe for gnocchi is what made me famous in this country. First, you must know that I am not raising the bar for gnocchi, I am the bar (at least I like to believe)! If you come to my restaurant, you order my gnocchi. "Nyocky" is nothing more but potato and a few ingredients. There is flour, parmesan and nutmeg. People ask me, why only 4 ingredients? It is because I can only count to 4. Actually, there's salt & pepper, but they don't even count, everyone has that. Try out this gnocchi with your family and do not forget the BOOM! It is the most important.

Serves 4

2 cups flour

1 cup grated parmesan

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black crushed pepper

2 lbs. cold, skinless Idaho or Russet potatoes

1. In a stand up mixer with paddle attachment mix 2 cups of flour with 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black crushed pepper, mix for a few minutes until all of the ingredients are combined.

2. Add in the mixer 2 lbs. of cold, cooked skin off, grounded or smashed Idaho or Russet potatoes till the dough is firm and not dry anymore.

3. If too wet add a bit of flour until it won't stick to your finger anymore. You'll need to be able to roll, cut, and cook the gnocchi without them being hard or falling apart as you roll them.

4. Cook them in hot boiling water till they float and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Sauce

6 oz. Pancetta

1 can Pumpkin Puree

1 cup white wine

2 tbs butter

1. Sautee the pancetta, deglaze with wine and add a dollop of butter

2. Add as much pumpkin as you desire

For more of Fabio Viviani's recipes, go to Page 2.

Organic Honey Corn Bread

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 cups organic flour, unbleached

3/4 cup organic yellow cornmeal, fine

3/4 cup organic white grits

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups water, warm

1/4 cup organic safflower oil

1/3 cup organic honey

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1. Grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan and preheat in 350» F oven. Sift the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add in dry ingredients 1/3 at a time until incorporated.

3. Pour batter into preheated pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until set and a fork pulls clean.

4. While the bread is hot, drizzle additional honey on top. Serve with softened butter.

Green Bean Saute with Pecans

Serves 6-8

3 shallots, sliced in rings

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 lb. green beans, cleaned and cut in half

2 tablespoons stone ground mustard

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

salt and pepper

1. In a large, heated pot, add olive oil and shallots. Cook for 4 minutes, then add green beans. Cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add mustard and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds, then add stock and paprika. Turn down heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 4-6 minutes

3. Stir in chopped pecans and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sausage, Cheese, and Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients:

8 cups French baguette or Italian pane rustica, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

4 tablespoons Bertolli extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1 cup shredded provolone cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

1 cup sour cream

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add bread to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms. Season with salt, pepper, and dried basil. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 8-10 minutes until the moisture is evaporated and the onions and mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the mushroom and onion mixture to the bowl with the bread and allow to cool slightly.

3.In the meantime, in the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

4.Into the bowl with the bread, mushrooms and onions, add the provolone and Parmesan cheeses, sour cream, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and beef broth. Add the cooled sausage and stir to fully combine. Pour the stuffing into a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until brown and crispy.

5.To serve, spoon the stuffing into a serving bowl.

Ricotta Fritters

Yields 15 fritters

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts light olive oil

Sugar for dusting

Mix the ricotta cheese, mini chocolate chips and flour until well combined.

Fill a sauté pan with light olive oil and place over medium high heat.

Using two tablespoons, scoop mixture into individual fritters and place into hot oil.

Let the fritters cook until they are crisp and brown on the outside.

Use a spider to pull them out of the hot oil.

As they cool, coat with sugar.

Strawberry Balsamic Martini

1 1/2 oz (6ct) Vanilla Rum

3/4 oz (3ct) Simple Syrup

1/2 oz (2ct) Strawberry Puree

3 Small Strawberries

4 lime wedges

12-15 Dashes of Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1 Squash

Balsamic glaze

Take three strawberries, make sure they are nicely washed and the stem is removed. Place them in the mixing glass and add a lime wedge and the 3/4 oz of simple syrup, 12/15 dashes of balsamic vinegar, and 1/2 oz. of the home made simple syrup and start muddling. The muddling process is done while you are pressing the lime so the unique flavor of the essential oil contained in the skin comes out ......be careful to not over do it because it will result in bitter Minestrone!!!!!

Now we have a nice puree .......but where is the alcohol? Here it is! Rum - Add 1 1/2 oz and it is time to fill the shaker with ice (and when I say fill, I mean fill! The less ice you put in your shaker, the more watered down your drink will be....is physics!) Then, pour the mix into the shaker and start shaking! Strain into a balsamic glaze drizzled martini glass.

Burgundy color with amber rifles done from the balsamic glaze drizzled in the glass - has a clear perfume of Vanilla and pretty strong acidity notes We are talking about a great refreshing drink due to the presence of lime, sugar, and balsamic vinegar very well balanced together . A beautiful clean and unusual aftertaste that lives your mouth ready for the next sip!!!