Tomato Pie Recipe

Make dough

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and 1 tsp salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Bind dough

Sprinkle the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the flour-butter mixture, tossing gently after each addition until the dough just comes together when pressed. Avoid overworking.

Chill and roll

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. After chilling, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish (or 9-inch tart pan). Transfer to the dish, trim and crimp edges. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 6–8 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) for final bake.

Prepare tomatoes

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Lay slices in a single layer on paper towels or a wire rack and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Let drain for 15–20 minutes to remove excess moisture; blot tops with additional paper towels to remove surface liquid.

Assemble tomatoes with basil

Tear or thinly slice the 10 basil leaves and scatter a small amount over the bottom of the pre-baked crust to create a herb layer that will separate crust from wet tomatoes.

Mix filling

In a medium bowl combine the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, mayonnaise, dried oregano and black pepper. Stir until evenly incorporated. The mixture should be spreadable; if too thick add 1 tsp milk at a time to reach spreading consistency.

Layer pie

Spread about half of the cheese-mayo mixture evenly over the basil-lined pre-baked crust. Arrange a single layer of tomato slices across the surface (trim to fit if needed). Sprinkle a little additional basil over the tomato layer. Dollop and gently spread the remaining cheese mixture over the tomato layer, allowing some tomato edges to peek through for texture.

Final bake

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese topping is set and lightly golden and the tomatoes have softened but are not collapsed. If edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Rest and garnish

Remove pie from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes so juices redistribute and the filling firms. Garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves before slicing.