Tomato Pie

A little over a year ago, my good friend Anne who also volunteers with me at the Wednesday Community Meal, asked me if I had ever made a Philadelphia-style tomato pie?

I hadn't. I didn't even know what one was.

Anne described it as similar to a pizza but without the heavy layer of cheese and toppings. The star of tomato pie is just a thick layer of really good homemade tomato sauce. 

So, with the guidance of Anne and her daughter Tiffany, who both have lived in Philadelphia and know what an authentic tomato pie should taste like, we made one together.

It was so good. The sauce was tomato heaven — intense and fresh tasting at the same time.

With such a dense layer of sauce, I was worried that it would run all over when sliced. But, it didn't. It held up beautifully.

In Philadelphia, tomato pie is served by the slice and at room temperature which makes it an ideal choice for entertaining. A light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil finish it off.

I'm so glad Anne introduced me to this classic Philly treat. I make it often and my family loves it.

Here's the recipe to make one large tomato pie:

Tomato Sauce
1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes (I like imported Centa San Marzano)
1 (28 oz) can ground tomatoes (I like 7/11 Brand)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
olive oil


Drain the juice off the whole tomatoes and reserve for later.

Put the whole tomatoes in a glass baking dish that's been greased with olive oil and seasoned them with kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of the oregano and garlic powder.

Put them the oven at 375 degrees and roasted them for about 1 to 2 hours or until they are reduced and more flavorful. Keep checking them and stir them if they are getting dark around the edges.

While the tomatoes are roasting,  put the reserved juice in a sauce pot and over medium high heat, reduced it by half. 

In another large sauce pot, saute the onions and garlic and then add the ground tomatoes and reduced juice. Season this to taste with salt, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon oregano, sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Keep simmering and keep tasting and adjusting the seasoning as needed.

When the tomatoes are done roasting, use a knife to rough chop them in the pan and add them to the simmering sauce. Keep seasoning to taste and let it cook for another 30 minutes to an hour until it's nice and thick. Let it cool before assembling the tomato pie.

Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and set aside until the yeast foams.

In a large bowl, add remaining water, olive oil and salt. Add yeast mixture and stir. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir to form a dough. Add more flour, a bit at a time until the dough comes together.

Put the dough on a floured work surface and knead until the dough forms a smooth ball. Add more flour as necessary.

Place the dough in bowl in a bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil.
Let rise until double in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours).

To Assemble Tomato Pie
Tomato sauce
Dough
Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Fresh basil to garnish
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread half of the dough on a sheetpan that has been lightly greased with olive oil.

Dough that's been spread on the sheetpan.

Put the dough in the oven and bake for just 5 minutes. Partially baking the dough before adding the sauce helps keep the crust from getting soggy.

A partially baked crust that's ready for sauce

Spread enough sauce to form a thick layer. No dough should be showing through. Leave a 1inch border of dough around the edges.

After a thick coating of sauce, it's ready to go back into the oven.

Put the tomato pie into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is brown and cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with torn pieces of fresh basil.

Let the tomato pie sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

The sauce sets up nicely and holds even after slicing.