Tomato and Mozzarella Pie

I will start by saying, I am not a tomato fan! You are probably like, um… then why do you make this pie?!? The answer is… I cannot get enough of it! LOL

I think because the tomatoes get nice and charred and do not have that raw flavor anymore. I don’t know, I just know that I am obsessed with this tomato mozzarella pie.

The crust in this pie is flaky and light, the filling is mozzarella cheese, (how can that be bad) and the tomatoes as I mentioned get charred and sweet and a little tangy. This is the perfect dish to make as the weather continues to warm up.

What is a tomato pie?

Well, there are a few schools of thought on this. I land right in the middle of both with this version. There is the traditional Italian tomato pie which contains a thick dough. It is almost like a focaccia and it is covered in tomato sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Usually not containing mozzarella cheese.

Also, you have the Southern style tomato pie, which usually consists of green tomatoes, almost a pimento style cheese and lots of cheese. These are baked up in a deep dish pie crust.

This tomato pie is baked up in a pie crust, contains a lot of cheese and is topped with fresh tomatoes that get blistered and charred as they bake. You will get the oregano and basil flavors that are in that Italian tomato pie, with the flaky crust and cheesy inside of the Southern style tomato pie.

What do you need to make this tomato pie?

Flaky Pie Crust- You can absolutely buy the pie crust here. I will include the homemade flaky pie crust that I used if you choose to make it. There are awesome store bought pie crusts though, so you can totally just use that too. You can also use puff pastry in here as well.

Butter-Unsalted butter, melted for the bottom of the crust to give extra richness and flavor

Cheese- I used shredded mozzarella in here for the gooey cheese pull that everyone loves. It also firms nicely as this pie cools and makes it great if you want to serve it at room temp. I also added in a sharp provolone for extra flavor and shaved Parmesan on top for a salty bite at the end.

Tomatoes- Of course we need tomatoes in the tomato pie. You can do a variety in this pie, but you want a nice firm tomato. This will help it from getting too soggy when baking. I like plum or beefsteak tomatoes for this. If you are using heirlooms or fresh picked tomatoes, that is great, but you will want to salt them ahead of time and draw the moisture out before baking.

Oregano- You will want to use dried oregano in this dish. It will give you that traditional pizza flavor. I like the contrast of the dried and fresh herbs here.

Basil or Parsley- I am a big believer in using what you have. Don’t go out and buy a bunch of things to make a recipe. I had parsley on hand when I made mine and it was perfect. Yet, if you have basil, use that instead or even in addition too.

Kosher Salt- Tomatoes can take a lot of salt and are also much more flavorful with a nice bit of salt on them. So, make sure you salt them nicely before baking and use the salt to draw out the moisture ahead of time for any tomatoes that may be very ripe or softer.

Olive oil- Good quality olive oil here as you will use a little for finishing as well.

How to serve and store your pie?

This pie is one of those things that is great served warm or at room temp. It is the perfect dish to put out for a crowd at a Summer party or even make for a brunch or lunch with a light mixed green salad. Or if you are like me, just stand at your counter and eat it because it is just so good! LOL

Any leftover pie can be wrapped and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can heat it slightly or bring it to room temp before enjoying again and again.

Chef’s Tips-

This recipe is pretty straight forward. My biggest tip for this recipe is to pick nice firm tomatoes so that you don’t sog your crust. It will also help to have that layer of butter on the bottom. Make sure that you roll your crust out large enough so that it doesn’t slouch down on you.

Lastly, make sure you get a really nice brown around the edge of your crust as that will help indicate that the bottom of the crust is actually done. ENJOY!

Tomato and Mozzarella Pie

I don't even really like tomatoes unless they are ground up in sauce. Yet, I cannot get enough of this pie. That should say it all.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• Ingredients
• 1 homemade or pre-made pie crust or sheet of puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 7 ounces firm mozzarella thinly sliced or shredded
• 5 1/4 ounces sharp provolone cheese
• 2 ripe yet firm tomatoes thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
• 3-5 leaves fresh basil or a small bunch of fresh parsley

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 in round pie pan or tart pan.
• Roll out the dough to a little bit larger than your pan. Place the pie crust or puff pastry into the prepared pan, brush the pastry with the melted butter.
• Top with the thinly sliced or shredded mozzarella, then add the provolone cheese on top of that and finally top with the thin slices of tomato (if they are really seedy i remove the seeds & pulp). If they are very juicy and soft, sprinkle them with salt and let them sit to draw out the excess moisture. This will take about 15-30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with kosher salt and dried oregano and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove and top with chopped fresh basil or parsley. Serve immediately or let it cool to room temp. Enjoy!