Top | The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two

Cheese and Tomato Pie

(recipe, Anna Thomas)

Introduction

Call it either a quiche or a pizza, this is one of the most delicious pies around.

Ingredients

  1. 1 basic short-crust pastry (pie shell), prebaked
  2. 3 lb. ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
  3. 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  4. 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
  5. ¾ tsp. salt
  6. 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
  7. ½ tsp. dried basil, crushed
  8. Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  9. 1 lb. yellow onions
  10. 2 Tbsp. butter
  11. ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  12. ½ lb. mozzarella cheese
  13. 12 cured black olives (or more)

Steps

  1. Chop the tomatoes, coarsely, reserving their juice. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic in it for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, ½ teaspoon of the salt, the parsley, basil, and a little fresh-ground black pepper. Simmer this sauce, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced by about half. It should be quite thick.
  2. Peel, halve, and thickly slice the onions. Sauté them in the butter until they are golden and sprinkle them with the ¼ teaspoon salt.
  3. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the bottom of the quiche shell. Arrange the sautéed onion slices over it in an even layer. Cover the onions with the tomato sauce.
  4. Cut the mozzarella in thin strips and arrange them evenly on top of the tomato sauce. Slice the olives off their pits and sprinkle the olive bits over the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Bake the pie for 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 375 degrees and serve it hot.