Southern Tomato Pie
I saw Vivian Howard make the best Southern tomato pie recipe on one of the episodes of Chef & Farmer and I made a mental note to try making it with fresh summer tomatoes. I recently ran across her recipe while perusing Saveur that was calling my name. I didn’t have time to make the crust and refrigerate it overnight per her instructions so I adapted the recipe by using a pre-made crust I had in the refrigerator and it worked well. I thought this recipe was not only super fun to make but it was far tastier than I even imagined it would be…seriously, it was so good! I served this Southern tomato pie for dinner and my entire family thought it was really amazing–my husband had seconds and came home for the leftovers today at lunch so I’d say that makes it a keeper.
How to Make a Southern Tomato Pie
Prepare the crust by transferring one pre-made pie dough to a 9-in. pie plate. Flute the edges with your fingers. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the crust with a double thickness of tin foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
Place into the oven and bake on a lower oven rack for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove foil and weights; bake 3-6 minutes longer or until the bottom is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.
Make the filling by tossing HALF of the diced tomatoes with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar. Set them over a colander to drain in the sink while you get everything else ready, at least an hour.
Place the other half of the diced tomatoes on a baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil and fresh thyme leaves then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; toss to coat evenly. Place into the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes, until dry, and slightly browned. Remove from the oven; set aside to cool.
Make the caramelized onions while the tomatoes are draining in the sink and the others are roasting in the oven. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized. If the onion gets dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan, scrape up the over-browned bits, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. This will take about 45 minutes.
Make the topping by combining the mayonnaise, Fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese then season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix well.
Prepare the pie by combining the drained tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion, and fresh basil in a bowl; mix until well combined. Pour into the prepared and cooled pie crust.
Spoon the topping evenly over the filling. Top with a few slices of heirloom tomatoes that you’ve patted very dry with paper towels.
Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the cheese is bubbling and starting to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Top with fresh basil before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Equipment
- 9-Inch Pie Dish
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 premade pie crust
Filling:
- 12 vine-ripened tomatoes cored, seeded, & cut into 1/2-inch dice, divided
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves removed
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 sweet yellow onion sliced thinly
- ⅓ cup fresh basil chopped
Topping:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup Fontina grated
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 1 heirloom tomato sliced & patted very dry with paper towels
- Fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the crust by transferring one pre-made pie dough to a 9-in. pie plate.
- Flute the edges with your fingers. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the crust with a double thickness of tin foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
- Place into the oven and bake on a lower oven rack for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove foil and weights; bake 3-6 minutes longer or until the bottom is golden brown.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the filling by tossing HALF of the diced tomatoes with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar.
- Set them over a colander to drain in the sink while you get everything else ready, at least an hour.
- Place the other half of the diced tomatoes on a baking sheet.
- Toss with the olive oil and fresh thyme leaves then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; toss to coat evenly.
- Place into the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes, until dry, and slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven; set aside to cool.
- Make the caramelized onions while the tomatoes are draining in the sink and the others are roasting in the oven.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.
- If the onion gets dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan, scrape up the over-browned bits, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. This will take about 45 minutes.
- Make the topping by combining the mayonnaise, Fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese then season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix well.
- Prepare the pie by combining the drained tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion, and fresh basil in a bowl; mix until well combined.
- Pour into the prepared and cooled pie crust.
- Spoon the topping evenly over the filling.
- Top with a few slices of heirloom tomatoes that you've patted very dry with paper towels.
- Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the cheese is bubbling and starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Top with fresh basil before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
This looks beyond delicious!
We love tomato pie as well and haven’t made one in a while. Yours looks delicious and that looks like a Mr Stripey on top. As a tomato pie lover, you may want to try our favorite Kennedy Quiche – http://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/2010/01/quiche-and-fatty-real-mens-breakfast.html
I almost never make tomato pie for some reason. I don’t know why not — it’s SO GOOD! Yours looks terrific – and now, of course, you have me craving this. 🙂 Good recipe — thanks.
Oh yes this pie is perfect for these summer days. Your recipe looks delicious.
oh, how delicious! i’ve actually never had a tomato pie but the look of yours certainly has me craving one!
86 the mayonnaise and yum!
I just made this and it was excellent, such a nice way to use tomatoes when they are in season.
I think I almost tripled the cheese topping and it turned out almost like a pizza, so good.
I also used 3 onions instead of 1, mainly because I love caramelized onions.
Thx for a great recipe.
Yum! Extra caramelized onions always makes me happy!