The Dish: Chef Steve DiFillippo unveils a Northern Italian dinner

Steve DiFillippo is the consummate restaurateur. With his award-winning Davio's brand firmly established in Atlanta, Boston, Chestnut Hill, Lynnfield, Manhattan, Philadelphia and Foxborough, DiFillippo has tackled the modern Italian restaurant.

In 1985, at the early age of 24, DiFillippo purchased his first restaurant -- an existing spot named Davio's -- a name now synonymous with quality. Located in up and coming Boston's trendy Back Bay, the original Davio's -- a family-owned Italian restaurant with local charm -- was opened in 1977.

Difillippo transformed the location into a fine-dining destination by retooling the menu, the space, and the wine list -- injecting many reincarnations of his mother's recipes into the menu.

Among DiFillippo's achievements is a recently published book titled "It's all about the guest: Exceeding expectations in business and in life, the Davio's way." The book details his adventures as a chef, restaurant owner and entrepreneur - and there are even some recipes.

He joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" and shares some of the dishes that made him famous.

Dish Menu

Roasted tomato soup

-with goat cheese and chive crostini

Warm spinach salad

Tagliatelle bolognese

-with braised veal, beef, pork, tomato sauce

Kobe meatballs

Hand-rolled potato gnocchi,

Wild mushrooms, truffle oil warm

Chocolate cake

Mistletoe martini

Tomato soup

Yields 6 - 8 portions

2 each - 28 oz cans hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 loaf Italian bread, cubed

1 large white onion, sliced

3 oz butter, cubed, unsalted

1 quart chicken stock

2 tbsp. Basil, julienne parsley, chopped

melt butter in stock pot; add onions and cook until translucent.

add tomatoes and chicken stock.

simmer for 1 hour.

add cubed bread, simmer for 45 minutes.

remove from heat, set aside until cool.

purée smooth.

For service:

bring soup to a simmer.

season to taste with salt and pepper.

add basil and chopped parsley

garnish with soft goat cheese and chive crostini.

Spinach salad

Serves 20

2 ½ pounds baby spinach

5 ounces extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

8 ounces balsamic vinegar

5 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced

½ pound roasted red peppers

1 pound goat cheese, fresh

To taste: kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly.

2.Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In a saucepan, over low heat, add the olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar, until warm.

4. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

5. Add the mushrooms and the sliced peppers to the spinach and toss.

6. Divide the spinach between the plates or bowls and evenly divide the goat cheese.

serve immediately

Pasta bolognese

Serves 4

1 lg. white onion

1 carrot

1-2 stalks of celery

1-1 ½ lbs. Cooked pasta - we suggest Tagliatelle or spaghetti

¼ lb. Diced prosciutto

1 lb. Ground beef

1 lb. Ground pork

1 lb. Ground veal

1 lg. Can San Marzano Italian tomatoes, handed crushed

1 garlic clove finely chopped

1 bay leaf

2 fresh scallion stalks, chopped

2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

S&P to taste

Parmigiano cheese - optional

1. Coarsely dice and mix together the onion, carrot & celery. Set aside.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions**. Drain pasta well and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan cook the prosciutto until crispy.

4. Add beef, pork and veal to the pan and cook through, making sure it is well mixed.

5. Drain off fat and add garlic, bay leaf and mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot mixture) to the meat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Add tomatoes and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Add cooked pasta with a small amount of the bolognese sauce, then top with remaining sauce.

8. Serve at once.

**if you are using the pasta immediately, do not allow pasta to fully cook. It will continue cooking while it sits and when you add it to the hot sauté pan.

If you would like to prepare your pasta in advance, place the colander of drained pasta under cold running water. Once the pasta is completely cooled, place it loosely in a bowl and toss with a few drops of canola oil. Cover & refrigerate until you are ready to use. When ready to use bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cooked cold pasta to boiling water stir well for about 1 minute. Drain and immediately add to pan (see step 7 above).

Kobe meatballs

1 loaf bread

2 cups whole milk

1 each white onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

¼ cup olive oil

2 lbs. Kobe beef, ground

2 lbs. Veal, ground

2 lbs. pork, ground

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup Romano cheese, grated

½ cup parsley, chopped

½ cup basil, chopped

6 whole eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 gallon marinara sauce

Preparation:

In a large bowl, soak loaf of bread in milk for 2 hours. Break bread apart into small pieces. Set aside.

Over medium high heat, sauté onions and garlic with olive oil.

Place sautéed onions, garlic and all remaining ingredients, except marinara and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl.

Mix well. Cover bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and form into 3 oz. Balls.

Over medium high heat, place meatballs covered in vegetable oil and cook for 10 minutes, making sure meatballs are spread out in the pan, not touching others; turning so meatballs do not burn.

Remove meatballs from pan, cool.

Place cooled meatballs in a large pan, cover with marinara sauce, wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. (you can cook immediately, but soaking overnight is recommended.)

Cook meatballs and sauce for at least 3 hours before serving.

Homemade potato gnocchi

Makes approximately 8 - 10 servings

(approximately 125 gnocchi)

2 ¼ lbs. Russet potatoes

2 medium eggs

1 ½ cups sifted flour

½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. sepper

1. Boil potatoes until tender.

2. While hot, strain, peel and put through the ricer.

3. Set aside, let thoroughly cool (this can be done the day before).

4. On a board, form a "mountain" with cooled diced potatoes.

5. Add sifted flour, parmesan, salt & pepper.

6. Make a hole at the top of the mountain and add the eggs into hole.

7. Working for the eggs out, begin mixing eggs with potato until well blended.

8. Cover with a slightly damp cloth or a bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

9. Roll dough into 2-foot long rolls about the size of a quarter in diameter.

10. Cut into ½ inch pieces.

11. Delicately dust with flour and place into a plastic container (only one layer with plenty of room).

12. Cover and freeze until ready to cook. (once frozen, the gnocchi can be transferred into zip lock

Bags. The gnocchi can be kept frozen up to one month.)

To serve:

Bring 12 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil, add frozen gnocchi, cover and cook until water returns to a boil. Uncover, cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the gnocchi begin to float. Strain gnocchi, add your favorite sauce, serve immediately in a warm, shallow bowl.

Serve 10 gnocchi as appetizer or 20 gnocchi as an entrée.

Davio's wild mushroom, garlic, white truffle oil

1 lb. Wild mushroom mix

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

3 tbsp olive oil

S&p to taste

Splash white truffle oil

13. Place sauté pan over medium heat, when hot, add olive oil & sliced garlic. Brown slightly.

14. Add wild mushrooms & toss well.

15. Turn heat to medium and cook mushrooms until slightly brown. Tossing often.

16. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Add splash of truffle oil.

17. Toss well.

Optional garnish after tossing with gnocchi:

Add chopped fresh Italian parsley and/or shaved parmigiano.

Warm chocolate cake

Yields 10 - 12

10 ½ oz unsalted butter

9 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate (60/40 callebaut)

6 each whole eggs

6 each egg yolk

5 ¼ oz pastry flour

10 ½ oz 10x sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, high fan

2. Using ½ cup aluminum tins, coat well with non stick spray (pam) and flour

3. Melt butter; pour over the chocolate to melt

4. Sift flour and sugar together into a large mixing bowl

5. Add eggs and yolks; mix until smooth

6. Add chocolate/butter mix and stir until homogenous

7. Deposit into prepared tins (gray scoop #8)

8. Bake approx 10 minutes until outside edges are set; remove from oven and let sit briefly to unmold.

Mistletoe Martini

1 1/2 ounces vodka

3/4 ounce cherry brandy or similar

Juice of 1 lime

Rim a martini glass with sugar. Fill your cocktail shaker halfway with ice and pour in the ingredients. Shake until chilled and strain the mixture into the glass.