Vegetarian Recipe #1: Tomato Pie
Perhaps you are wondering what this abomination is.
The answer is: something you should make for dinner tonight.
On Wednesday, I had big plans to make something else for dinner. And then Rhi pinned this recipe on Pinterest and I suddenly went a completely different direction because tomatoes! basil! mayo! pie crust! caramelized onions! You’re pretty much just described the most perfect meal I can imagine.
And it was pretty much the best decision of my life. We scarfed them down at dinner and then were happy to have the leftovers (which reheat beautifully) for lunch yesterday.
That list of ten new vegetarian recipes that I was working toward this year? This recipe has shot to the top.
I especially love it because it is hearty enough for dinner, but has such a fantastic summer flavor to it and is a great way to use all the produce that is currently in season.
Also, I haven’t made a pie crust in. . . years, actually, but I just can’t stomach the amount of trans fat in store-bought crust anymore, so I finally braved making my own. This whole-wheat one from Perry’s Plate is really tasty and also EASY. She has a very thorough, step-by-step recipe for it that you should check out if you’re a nervous pie maker (I followed very carefully for a bit and then gained some confidence and winged it. Seemed to turn out fine). I will be using this crust recipe from now on – it’s flaky, easy, and less likely to kill me.
tomato pie
Tomato Pie
After we finish this dish up, I immediately want to make it again.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 TB ice water
- 1 small egg or half an egg
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 T butter frozen
Filling
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 4 to matoes cut in half, squeezed to remove excess juice and roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced basil about 8 leaves
- 2 cups grated cheese combination of any two you'd like - I did mozzarella and cheddar
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon or more to taste hot sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Heat oven to 375.
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Drizzle about 1 Tb olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and warm over medium/low-heat. While it gets hot, slice the onion thinly. Add to pan and let cook, stirring every couple of minutes to keep from burning.
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While the onions cook, make your pie crust (easy, I promise!).
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Fill a glass with water and stick a couple of ice cubes in it. Whisk together flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Grate frozen butter into bowl. Take the ice water and measure out 2 TB into a measuring cup or glass. Crack the egg into the measured ice water and whisk together. Using your fingers, break up the butter if it clumps together to thoroughly combine everything. Pour in the egg-water mixture and stir with a hefty spoon (or use your fingers). Add a tablespoon or two of water if it seems dry (I needed close to another 2 TB).
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Gather all the dough into one lump if you're doing one pie and into six to eight pieces if you're doing individual servings. Sprinkle flour on wax or parchment paper or the counter and place your dough ball in the center, flattening it like a disk. Start rolling it out, working from the center to the outsides, until it's round(ish).
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Press into the individual dishes or the regular pie dish.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges just barely start to turn brown.
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While those bake, assemble everything else.
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Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes (I dumped mine in a colander and pressed them with my potato masher).
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In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine well.
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Remove pie crust(s) from the oven and lower oven heat to 350.
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Divide cooked onion evenly among the pie dishes (or dump them all in your single pie crust).
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Add in the chopped tomatoes (should be fairly full when you've got these in).
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Sprinkle with chopped basil.
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Spread cheese mixture over the top of each dish.
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Place in oven (you might want to put them on a baking sheet in case the cheese bubbles over).
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Bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.
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Die of happiness. Wonder if your baby will notice if you feed her bananas while you inhale the entire (fine TWO entire) serving.
Recipe Notes
(adapted from Simply Recipes and Perry's Plate)
if you liked this tomato pie recipe, you might also like these other recipes:
- Fresh Spinach Quiche Recipe
- Roasted Tomato Quiche with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
- Chocolate Pecan Pie with Ancho Chiles
Wow! That does look delicious.
Way to go for making homemade. Don't you love it? I use my Aunt Hazels' "never fail" pie crust recipe (I'd share, but I don't think I can outside of family- sorry!) It turns out lovely every time.
It's amazing how easy it is to bake homemade because the ingredient lists are often simple and most people have the basics on hand.
I will have to try this, I love tomatoes, too 🙂
Yum! This looks fantastic. Of course, I'd probably put bacon in it because I'm a pork-lover like that, but hey, whaddaya do? 😉
xox
I have still not made this. SIGH.
This sounds wonderful, but I doubt my husband would go for it. He still thinks he has to have meat every day. Sigh. Thought: I guess I could brown some lean hamburger or add cooked chicken, but really skimp. Congrats on making your own pie crust.
I cannot wait to try this!!!!!!! YUM!
While on vacation I'm in charge for one meal and this will be my choice! It does look like a delicious summer meal.
So I remember when you made this four years ago, and I've always had it in the back of my mind because it sounds so delicious. I've recently gravitated towards more meatless meals, as I am pregnant and suffering from a meat aversion. Do you think I could prepare this earlier in the day and then throw it in the oven at night just before dinner. Along with my meat aversion, I also have exhaustion. LOL. It's the hard-knock life.