Fresh Tomato Pie Pizza
on Jun 21, 2025
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A pizza crust is the base for this late summer tart piled with sautéed onions and wedges of fresh tomatoes.
This is part tomato tart, part tomato pie, part fresh tomato pizza, and all completely delicious. The base is pizza dough, then there is a layer of gorgeously caramelized onions, and then a big honking pile of sliced tomatoes, which soften and sweeten in the oven.
Most tomato pies, especially those popular in the southern part of the U.S., are made with fresh tomatoes, but using pie crust. What is known as Italian tomato pie is often pizza or focaccia dough topped with tomato sauce, but not fresh tomatoes. This is kind of like a hybrid between the two thoughts!
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This recipe calls for pizza dough that is shaped more like a freeform pizza, rather than baked in a pie or tart pan. You can make your own pizza dough, or purchase it from a pizzeria (most are happy to sell you some dough) or many supermarkets. A salad on the side or some Vegetarian Mustard Greens would round out the meal nicely.
What's In This Post?
Onions and Herbs in Tomato Pie
Under all of those gorgeous red tomatoes is a bed of sweet, browned, cooked onions that practically melt into themselves, and keep those tomatoes in place. If you skip the optional anchovies and use oil instead of butter to sauté the onions, then this tomato tart is vegan. There is no cheese in this recipe, which is also common in many tomato pie recipes. The onions will cook down considerably, so don’t be alarmed by the large amount that you start with.
I sprinkled fresh thyme over the tomatoes before baking the pie, and then topped the hot pie with torn basil leaves. If you want to use oregano in place of either or just stick to one herb, you’ll still have a wonderful pie!
How to Make Tomato Pie Pizza
- Sauté onions: Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the onions and salt, and cook until tender and golden brown. Add sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for another 10 minutes until the onions are very soft and nicely browned. Let cool.
- Prep the dough: Preheat the oven. Sprinkle cornmeal on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll out the dough into a rectangle or circle and place the dough on the pan, brushing it with olive oil.
- Build the pizza: Layer the onions, anchovies (if using), and tomatoes, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake and serve: Bake until the crust is golden brown, and when a spatula is slid under the tart, it lifts up firmly, about 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle with torn fresh basil leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.
What to Serve With Tomato Pie Pizza
- Grilled Romaine
- Green Beans Niçoise Salad
- Classic Greek Salad
- Sautéed Corn and Zucchini in Lemony Brown Butter
- Grilled Vegetable Skewers
- Vegetarian Collard Greens
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Fresh Tomato Pie Pizza
Ingredients
For the Onions:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (see Note)
- 4 medium yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds; halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
For the Pizza:
- All-purpose flour (for rolling)
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 anchovies (drained, and chopped; optional)
- 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (approximately; cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and ground pepper (to taste)
- Fresh basil leaves (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Add the sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the heat, and lower it a bit if the bottom of the pan starts to burn. Cook until the onions are very soft and nicely browned. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a rimmed baking sheet (you can line it with parchment first if you like). Roll out the dough to a half-inch rectangle or circle, letting it rest in between short rolling sessions. Place the dough on the baking sheet. Brush the dough with the olive oil, going all the way to the edges.
- Spread the onions over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle the anchovies over, if using, then top the onions with the slices of tomato, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and when a spatula is slid under the tart, it lifts up firmly, about 15 to 18 minutes.
- Sprinkle with torn fresh basil leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.
Katie, I would like to use anchovy paste in place of the anchovies. Does 2 teaspoons of paste sound about right? I thought I could stir the paste into the onions when they are done. I look forward to trying this recipe with some homemade pizza dough. We love both pizza and tomato (the Southern version) pie. Thanks in advance.
that sounds right! and the method you suggest also sounds perfect. let me know how it turns out!