Some of you have asked me for the recipe to make this delicious tomato pie. I LOVE tomatoes, will eat them out of hand with a shaker of salt… anything tomatoey has my attention. So when I saw a recipe for tomato pie in one of those women’s mags while in a doctor’s waiting room, I snapped a photo of the pie and the ingredients.
I’m not a dough maker, so I use the store bought frozen pies that come two to a package and that works just fine. I usually make four pies, because we’ll eat two of them right away, and the other two I give as gifts (or eat cold in the morning with coffee! — I told you I LOVE tomatoes!)
Ingredients:
Pie Crust
Cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese
Dip for flavor (onion, artichoke, etc.)
1 Egg
Garlic
Basil
Thyme
Pepper
Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
Tomatoes
Here’s how I make the pie:
Store bought pie crust. Pre-bake (blind bake) them at 400° for about 10 minutes or until golden brown so they won’t be soggy when you add the filling.
Filling:
- 1 quart cottage cheese or ricotta (2 cups)
- Tonight I used a pint of onion dip to add spice/flavor to the filling. In the past I have used an artichoke and spinach dip. I like to keep it simple and easy, and why not? Dips are already seasoned, so all the better if you can use your favorite dip. (Some recipes call for mayo, but I’ve never used it and find that my pie is terrific without it.)
- 1 egg
- Couple of peeled and minced garlic cloves — or powdered garlic
- Fresh chopped or dehydrated basil, thyme, pepper
- 1 cup parmesan (or pecorino) cheese (for filling)
- Container of blended shredded cheeses (Asiago, Parmesan, Fontina, Provolone)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and using an immersion blender (was there anything more convenient than that stick blender!?), whip it into a smooth pudding-like filling. Pour filling into pre-baked pie crusts, leaving room at the top for a layer of tomatoes and that yummy cheese topping.
Tomatoes
I’ve seen recipes that recommend the pear-shaped Roma tomato because it is less juicy and more firmness. But I’ve used beefsteaks, cherries, and vine-ripen and I haven’t had a problem. I just slice them, place them in a colander to drain a little before layering them on top of the filling.
Layer tomatoes. You can overlap them. You can get artistic with the little cherry ‘maters. Whatever your heart desires.
If you want to add other toppings, this is the time to lay them in. Green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, etc.
Bake at 400 for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven… and then!!!
Sprinkle grated cheeses (I get the container with four different kinds — Asiago, Parmesan, Fontina, Provolone) over the tomatoes…be generous. The more cheese, the cheesier. (See how that works?)
Return to oven at 400 for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
Remove, let cool, and then cut into slices. It makes a wonderful side dish with an autumn soup.
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I don’t follow the magazine directions/ingredients exactly — I used half a container of onion dip to mix with the cottage cheese, added a couple of minced garlic cloves and some minced fresh basil and an egg. The trick is to pre-bake the crust at 400° for 15 minutes (or until a light golden brown). Then load the filling into the pie, place the tomatoes overlapping, and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle grated cheese over the pie, pop it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and bubbles. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley (for color). I use the frozen pie crust (2 to a package) and make both — if you use an entire container of cottage cheese, you could make four pies. Great eats for a get together. Next time I make it, I’ll add chopped green and red peppers and add that to the tomato layer for extra flavor and color. (You could add pepperoni or anything else you like on a pizza).
