Sweet squash gets dressed up for fall

Butternut squash takes on the delicious flavor of brown butter in this recipe

Video: Creamy burrata with butternut squash

Closed captioning of: Creamy burrata with butternut squash

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>>> time for "today's kitchen," we're getting saucy with chef michael chiarello , who is about to show us what to do with a butternut squash .

>> michael has been voted chef of the year, runned t s the family vineyard. now he's got a new book appropriately titled "bottega" after his restaurant. what are you cutting up here?

>> mozzarella is not just mozzarella. little slices in between the plastic, that's mozzarella. then it went to be fresh mozzarella, which is this. want to give that a try? which is very good. very good. here, hold this. give me your hand. look at this. come on.

>> what is it?

>> just saying. this is burrata .

>> what does that even mean?

>> burrata .

>> i get it.

>> i know, but i don't care.

>> look at this. that's all --

>> the cream and the marscapone and the curds. want to try that?

>> don't do it. don't do it, kathie.

>> no. try that.

>> why?

>> it is delicious.

>> unbelievable.

>> here.

>> thank you.

>> i thought you liked food.

>> i do like food.

>> what we're doing is we're cooking here.

>> i like wine. this is delicious.

>> that's my boy's vineyard.

>> boy's and girl's vineyard.

>> i do. i have three daughters and a boy and a wife.

>> cabernet is really delicious.

>> a little bit of butter, a little bit of olive oil . they roast until they go like this. i start them in a pan and go into 450 degree oven to finish.

>> because that's the way you roll.

>> that's the way i go.

>> how do you know they're all cooked through?

>> they should be soft. see, this is still firm. when the knife goes through easy. we'll brown them here and then go over to the oven to finish. instead of vinegar and oil vinaigrette, we're doing a brown better vinaigrette. you put the butter in, as soon it begins to foam like that, put in some sage.

>> i would love to. the whole thing?

>> yes.

>> hoda's cooking.

>> look how it blows up.

>> balsamic vinegar . look at this, look, mom.

>> i like it.

>> whoa, whoa!

>> hey! very funny.

>> hilarious.

>> sorry about that.

>> we have 30, want to come back and eat.

>> mushrooms.

>> here is some mushrooms. we go back around here. we're going to plate this up, all right? we have our vinegar -- we take our butternut squash . are you okay?

>> i'm just burned. that's my job. that's what i do.

>> cut me some of that burrata ?

>> sure.

>> some mushrooms go over the top here.

>> why don't you get a fork and taste in there.

>> okay. i'll try it.

>> a little brown butter vinaigrette, like that. there we go. look at this.

>> looks good.

>> look at that.

>> thank you.

>> you tear that up, just like that.

>> and then a little --

>> that looks fantastic.

>> it really does.

>> okay.

>> so it is not just -- it is not just tomatoes anymore. butternut squash , wild mushrooms, brown butter vinaigrette.

>> my gosh, is that delicious.

>> we're back with country star jason aldean , a great performance.

>>> in the past five and a half years, country rocker jason aldean has gone from a relative unknown to an

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 11/2/2010 7:15:45 AM ET

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Chef Michael Chiarello, the acclaimed chef and owner of Bottega Restaurant in Napa Valley, and the Emmy-winning host of “Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello,” is known for using the best veg of the season to create unique and mouthwatering dishes. In this recipe, he pairs one of autumn’s sweetest squashes, butternut squash, with mushrooms and dresses them both up with brown butter vinaigrette.

Chef’s introduction: I love that burrata complements rich, caramelized autumn vegetables just as easily as it dresses up summer tomatoes, figs, or watermelon. Because it’s so light, it adds the perfect fresh, creamy note to the plate. You can use any combination of mushrooms here. I like matsutakes, chanterelles, shiitakes, or morels but use what looks best at the farmers’ market or in the produce section.

I give the squash a little heat on the stove top before I put it in the oven to roast.

Wine pairing: A fruity Napa Valley Cabernet

Recipe: Roasted butternut squash and mushrooms with burrata (on this page)

Recipe: Roasted butternut squash and mushrooms with burrata

Michael Chiarello

I love that burrata complements rich, caramelized autumn vegetables just as easily as it dresses up summer tomatoes, figs, or watermelon. Because it’s so light, it adds the perfect fresh, creamy note to the plate. You can use any combination of mushrooms here. I like matsutakes, chanterelles, shiitakes, or morels but use what looks best at the farmers’ market or in the produce section.

I give the squash a little heat on the stove top before I put it in the oven to roast.

Wine pairing: A fruity Napa Valley Cabernet

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups 1-inch cubes butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Brown butter vinaigrette
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt, preferably gray salt, or kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1/2 tablespoon if needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups mushrooms, any variety, preferably wild
2 shallots, thinly sliced
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces (3 balls) burrata

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat and add the butter and the olive oil. When the butter foams, add the squash and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until caramelized and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Slide the pan into the oven and roast until a deeper brown on the edges, about 20 minutes.

For the vinaigrette:

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter, and when it foams, brown the sage for just a minute, and then pour in the vinegar and let it reduce by half. Don’t stir or touch it. Just keep it at a simmer, gently reducing until thickened. When it’s the consistency of a light syrup, add the salt. Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the stove while you sauté the mushrooms.

Heat a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter foams, add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to release their water, about 8 minutes. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté until brown, 3 to 4 minutes, tossing so they cook evenly. Season with salt and pepper and add another 1/2 tablespoon of butter if they look dry.

Divide the squash and the mushrooms evenly among 6 plates. Tear the burrata into pieces, scattering them over the vegetables. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Serving Size

Serves 6

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Sweet squash gets dressed up for fall

Butternut squash takes on the delicious flavor of brown butter in this recipe

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Jump to recipes Roasted butternut squash and mushrooms with burrata

Jump to gallery 15 recipes for hearty, delicious fall meals

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Video: Creamy burrata with butternut squash

Closed captioning of: Creamy burrata with butternut squash

Recipe: Roasted butternut squash and mushrooms with burrata

Ingredients

Preparation

Serving Size

Gallery: 15 recipes for hearty, delicious fall meals

Discuss: What did you think of this recipe?

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