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Italian Tomato Pie

Italian Tomato Pie is one of those dishes that’s perfect for parties or hot evenings because you can serve it hot or room temperature.

I’ll be the first to say that when I heard of Italian Tomato Pie I thought it was just a version of our Southern Tomato Pie with different seasonings. Boy, was I wrong.

Italian Tomato Pie on a parchment paper rimmed baking sheet sitting on a wooden surface; in the background is a bulb of fresh garlic, some fresh basil leaves and some tomatoes on the vine.

Southern Vs. Italian Tomato Pie

Southern Tomato Pie is a summer staple with sliced tomatoes, onions and a cheesy mixture that melts on top baked in a pie crust.

Italian Tomato Pie combines a fluffy dough with a deep, rich tomato sauce for what is now one of my new favorite treats. Think pizza without the cheese. I know, I know. I miss the cheese too, but stick with me here, it’s actually good without it.

It’s apparently a staple in Philadelphia and finding great pies outside of that area can be quite hard. I’m hoping this recipe makes Philly proud.

What Kind Of Dough?

For the sake of time, I use a pre-made pizza dough from the store, but you can also make homemade pizza dough.

From what I’ve heard, the dough that most people compare it to is actually more like a focaccia texture rather than a pizza dough. It’d be light and airy without too much crust.

The best part of this is that you can eat it straight from the oven, or let it cool to room temperature and serve that way. It sounds unconventional, but I am signed up for summer Italian Tomato Pie being a household thing now – hot or room temperature.

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Italian Tomato Pie Recipe

Contributor: Sam Ellis

Italian Tomato Pie is one of those dishes that’s perfect for parties or hot evenings because you can serve it hot or room temperature.

  • Author: Sam Ellis
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 lb. prepared pizza dough (or homemade pizza dough)
  • Fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Prepare a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In a single layer, lay out tomato slices.
  3. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
  4. Use hands to ensure all of the tomatoes are covered evenly.
  5. Roast tomatoes for 30 minutes.
  6. While the tomatoes are roasting, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, sugar, basil, oregano and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Let simmer.
  7. When tomatoes are done, transfer to a food processor and blend until crushed. You can also do this by hand.
  8. Add tomatoes to sauce and stir. Let simmer for another 15 minutes.
  9. On a large cookie sheet, lay out parchment paper and roll out pizza dough. With the oven still at 400°F, bake for 10 minutes.
  10. Top with tomato sauce and bake for another 10 minutes.
  11. Slice and serve with fresh basil.

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