Perfect pizzas: Make a spinach and goat cheese pie, more

Bake a tomato-basil pizza and one with prosciutto and eggplant puree

Video: The secret to the perfect homemade pizza

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>>> in today's kitchen what's cook sng homemade pizza. everything tastes better when you make it yourself.

>> maybe not in your case.

>> pizza is easy to make, and can you get the kids involved. to share the secrets of a perfect pie , chef and owner of barcara. nice to see you. you already started.

>> what are we making?

>> we're making pizza. my restaurant has some of the best pizzas around. pat it around. leave your edges. lift it up. be gentle with it. we're going to do about a 10 to 11 inches. it will shrink a little bit. i'm done. all right?

>> me too.

>> now, can you buy the dough instead of having to make it?

>> you can buy the dough or just come to barcara. you know, we're going to put our toppings. you have mushroom spinach and goat cheese , and you have prosscuto and egg plant .

>> what am i doing? you're taking egg plant and putting it on?

>> all over or just --

>> around. leave an edge. you want to have a nice rim, all right? or a myself crust.

>> wash your hands before.

>> of course.

>> you know --

>> i have the running pie.

>> which is?

>> it's tomato sauce, pancetta and parmesan, and then we'll finish it with solata when it comes out of the oven. we're going to go around that.

>> i'm done. you guys are slow. i'm bored.

>> oh, look at you.

>> look at mine.

>> a little bit --

>> look at it.

>> around the edges.

>> how do you get those crispy?

>> olive oil will help. you know, depending on your dough recipe. all right? you use pizza flower and all purpose flour.

>> why not salt and pepper? no?

>> no.

>> exactly. fine.

>> you can put salt, but her --

>> no, we are not.

>> okay. great. should we bring ours too?

>> i'm just going to bring mine.

>> are you putting it on a stone. i don't want to buy a stone. i don't make enough pizza. can i put it on a rack?

>> you can put it on a sheet tray, but a pizza stone will make it crispier, which is what your question was before.

>> all right.

>> and then we have an array of pizzas.

>> so is this mine?

>> this is yours.

>> and finish with arugula, and then you'll have parmesan.

>> how long does this cook, by the way, in the oven?

>> probably in the home oven if you have convection about six, seven minutes. then you have the mushroom spinach and goat cheese .

>> i love truffle oil on anything.

>> just on top.

>> then i have rustica solada for mine.

>> thank you.

>> coming up, guess who is back tomorrow?

>> who?

>> you.

>> you are coming back for one more day.

>> back stage beauty tips right off the runway and four fun activities for guests.

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 1/23/2013 5:49:35 PM ET

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Tired of delivery and ready to experiment with a homemade pizza? Let Ryan DePersio, chef and owner of "Bar Cara" in Bloomfield, New Jersey, show you how to make four varieties of pie. It's much easier to do than you might think. Buon appetito!

Recipe: Prosciutto, eggplant puree, Parmigiano pizza with arugula insalata (on this page) Recipe: Ryan's pie (on this page) Recipe: Tomato-basil pie (on this page) Recipe: Truffle-scented mushroom, spinach and goat cheese pie (on this page)

Recipe: Prosciutto, eggplant puree, Parmigiano pizza with arugula insalata

Ryan DePersio

Ingredients

1 (5oz) pizza dough
3 tbsp roasted eggplant puree
4 slices of aged prosciutto
3 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano
2 cups baby arugula
Block of Parmigiano
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Stretch out your dough so it has an 11 to 12-inch diameter. Rub eggplant puree on dough, leaving 1 ½-inch crust. Layer prosciutto over eggplant and top with shredded Parmigiano. Drizzle olive oil around crust. Cook in oven for 5 minutes, or until crust is crispy and golden brown. Cut into 4 or 8 slices and serve. Toss salad with olive oil and lemon juice, and top over hot pizza. Grate Parmigiano over salad.

Note: You can make eggplant puree, tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions and spinach a day in advance.

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Recipe: Ryan's pie

Ryan DePersio

Ingredients

1 (5oz) pizza dough
6 slices imported pancetta
2 tbsp Bar Cara San Marzano tomato sauce
3 tbsp shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
1 block ricotta salata
1 tbsp chopped chives

Preparation

Stretch out your dough so it has an 11 to 12-inch diameter. Spoon on sauce, leaving a 1 ½-inch crust. Layer pancetta across pie top with Parmigiano and brush crust with olive oil.

Cook in oven for 5 minutes, or until crust is crispy and golden brown. Take out and grate fresh ricotta salata on top. Sprinkle on chopped chives. Cut into 4 or 8 slices and serve.

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Recipe: Tomato-basil pie

Ryan Depersio

Ingredients

1 (5oz) pizza dough
2 tbsp Bar Cara San Marzano tomato sauce
4 slices of housemade sliced mozzarella
3 tbsp shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
5 leaves of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Stretch out your dough so it's 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Spoon on sauce, leaving a 1 ½-inch crust. Place mozzarella over sauce, top with Parmigiano and brush crust with olive oil. Cook in oven for 5 minutes, or until crust is crispy and golden brown. Top with hand-torn fresh basil.

Cut into 4 or 8 slices and serve.

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Recipe: Truffle-scented mushroom, spinach and goat cheese pie

Ryan DePersio

Ingredients

2 tbsp caramelized onions
1/2 cup roasted shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup wilted spinach
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp black truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Stretch out your dough so it has an 11 to 12-inch diameter. Distribute onions around pizza, leaving a 1 ½-inch crust. Then add spinach, then mushrooms and then goat cheese and Parmigiano. Brush crust with truffle oil and cook in oven for 5 minutes, or until crust is crispy and golden brown. Take out drizzle with truffle oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut into 4 or 8 slices and serve.

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