Tomato Pie Pizza

5 from 1 vote

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A pizza crust is the base for this late summer tart piled with sauteed onions and wedges of fresh tomatoes.

Tomato Pie Pizza

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.

Tomato Pie Pizza sliced in half and on a plate.

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!

This recipe calls for pizza dough 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 as a pizzeria (most are happy to sell you some dough) or many supermarkets. 

Tomato Pie Pizza: A pizza crust is the base for this late summer tart piled with sauteed onions and wedges of fresh tomatoes.

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Pizza piled high with tomatoes.

Onions in Tomato Pie

Under all of those gorgeous red tomatoes is a bed or sweet browned cooked onions that practically melts into itself, and keeps 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.

Herbs in Tomato Pie

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!

Woman sprinkling basil leaves onto a Tomato Pie Pizza.

How to Make Tomato Pie Pizza

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 until the onions are very soft and nicely browned. Let cool.

How to Caramelize Onions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll out the dough to a half-inch rectangle or circle and place the dough on the baking sheet. Brush the dough with the olive oil.

Spread the onions over dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the anchovies over, if using, then top the onions with the slices of tomato, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle the thyme and season with salt and pepper. 

Raw pizza dough topped with tomato slices.

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. 

Hand holding a slice of Tomato Pie Pizza.

What to Serve with Tomato Pie Pizza:

Partially-sliced Tomato Pie Pizza on a serving platter.

Other Fresh Tomato Recipes:

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5 from 1 vote

Tomato Pie Pizza

A pizza crust is the base for this late summer tart piled with sauteed onions and wedges of fresh tomatoes.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 People

Ingredients 

For the Onions:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (see Note)
  • 4 medium yellow onions (about 1½ 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 ½ inch wedges
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and ground pepper
  • 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 rests 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 dough, leaving a ½-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.

Notes

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!

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 950mg, Potassium: 579mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 1710IU, Vitamin C: 32mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 3mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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2 Comments

  1. 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.

    1. that sounds right! and the method you suggest also sounds perfect. let me know how it turns out!