Fresh Tomato Pie Recipe
This tomato pie screams peak Summer to me! We grow so many tomatoes in our garden so our kitchen counter on the weekends is always filled with me making homemade stewed tomatoes, a really pretty heirloom tomato tart and other fresh tomato recipes. This cheesy tomato pie is filled with juicy beefsteak tomatoes, fresh basil and minced garlic. It uses 4 big tomatoes, but honestly you can probably even throw a couple more in there if you’re drowning in garden tomatoes. This is a Summertime dinner that is on repeat for us because the whole family loves it. My kids say it tastes like pizza, what can beat that review? Goodbye mayo, hello garlic paste. Lots of tomato pies call for mayonnaise, but mayo is one of my worst enemies. Yuck! To tie this pie all together, instead we’re going to make a garlic paste as the base layer. This is going to infuse so much flavor into this tomato Pie and have it tasting like pizza!
Sliced Tomato Pie Ingredients
Tomatoes! This is called tomato pie so it’s filled with fresh beefsteak tomatoes. If you don’t have beefsteak, you can use Roma or Heirloom tomatoes too! Pie Crust. You can use a homemade pie crust or a frozen one. Whatever works for you! We’re going to bake this in the oven first for a few minutes to prevent it from becoming soggy. Minced Garlic, to make garlic paste with. Cheese. You will need 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, orange or white – pick your favorite. On top we add creamy ricotta cheese too! Basil. Grab some from the garden and chop it up!
Salt Tomatoes to Prevent a Soggy Pie
This is such a important step so please don’t skip it! Tomatoes are naturally juicy, after all, that’s why we love them. But juicy tomatoes can make a pie soggy which is absolutely what we don’t want. Slice the tomatoes and place them in a single layer on top of a paper towel. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes. After this time, dab the top of the tomatoes gently to remove any extra moisture.
How to Make Tomato Pie with Ricotta Cheese
Prebake pie crust for 10 minutes, this will get it ready for when we fill it. No matter if it’s homemade or frozen pie crust, prebake it. Instead of mayo, we’re using garlic paste for the base. It’s so easy to make! Peel 5 cloves garlic and finely chop them. Lightly sprinkle salt on top of the garlic and then carefully press down with the side of a knife to “crush it”. The salt acts like an abrasive and helps turn it into a paste. Don’t worry if you can’t turn it into a perfect paste, the main goal is to just get it crushed up some so it’s no longer big pieces. Below you can see my before and after. Add garlic paste to the bottom of the pie crust. Add half of the tomatoes (that you already salted to prevent a soggy pie!) into the bottom of the pie crust. Add half of the basil on top of the tomatoes. Add half of the shredded cheddar cheese on top. Repeat steps again, but save 3-4 slices of tomatoes for the top. Spread ricotta cheese on top, followed by sliced tomatoes. Bake until crust is browned and cheese is bubbling. Allow to cool to set, adding additional fresh basil on top if you’d like. Serve and enjoy this cheesy tomato pie!
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, good for 3-4 days. I recommend reheating in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until fully heated. You can also reheat in the microwave but it just won’t be as crispy. Pin for later:
