Don’t even think about making this quiche-like pie with winter tomatoes; save it for late summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Any kind will do but if you can find heirloom varieties in a rainbow of colors, it does make for a pretty presentation.
The tomatoes are suspended in a silky custard, atop layers of crumbled Italian sausage, sauteed leeks and mozzarella cheese, all of it cradled in a cheesy, buttery crust. Omit the sausage to make this a vegetarian dish.
I don’t bother to make neat circles or rows of tomatoes on top of the pie – I like the casual look of the different colored tomatoes tucked here and there. As the custard bakes it’s going to rise up and envelope the tomatoes, partially obscuring them and submerging them, so an intricate arrangement would be lost anyway.
The savory crust is laced with a hefty amount of Parmesan cheese, giving it a flavor similar to a Goldfish or Cheeze-it cracker, and a sturdiness that holds up well to the creamy filling. Because of the cheese, it’s a little stiffer to roll out than regular pie pastry; letting it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before you roll helps. Go slowly and patiently, and keep an eye out for cracks that may develop around the edges as you’re rolling. Pinch them closed with your fingers before you continue.
If you don’t feel like making a crust, try this crust-less version, which not only saves time but also calories, if you’re concerned about that sort of thing: Generously slather the pie plate with 2 tablespoons of very soft unsalted butter. Combine 2 tablespoons of plain dry breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle this mixture evenly all over the inside of the pie plate, so it sticks to the butter and lines the plate. When you’re layering the filling ingredients into the plate, just go carefully so as not to disturb the crumb lining.
Making this ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
- Heirloom Tomato Pie is good either hot or at room temperature. If you don’t want to serve it right away, let it sit for up to 2 hours, and either serve it at room temperature, or reheat it gently in a 300-degree oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through. This is great picnic food – enjoy it at room temperature while sitting on a golden early-fall hillside, ideally overlooking a vineyard.
- The cooked pie will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or a 300-degree oven, and are fabulous for breakfast.
Heirloom Tomato Pie
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (7 3/8 ounces or 210 grams)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 5 or 6 tablespoons ice water
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage
- 1 medium leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped (about ¾ cup of chopped leek)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large tomatoes, preferably heirloom varieties, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
Directions
- Step 1 Make the crust. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar, Parmesan, and ½ teaspoon of salt if using Diamond Crystal, or ¼ teaspoon of Morton’s. Pulse to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is broken down into pieces the size of pieces. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing two or three times for each tablespoon, until the dough just starts to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and gather it into a ball, then press it down to a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Step 2 After chilling the dough for at least one hour, take it out and let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 3 Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage, crumbling it and breaking it apart as it cooks. When the sausage is cooked through and browned, remove it with a slotted spoon to a plate and set it aside.
- Step 4 Add the chopped leek to the oil in the skillet, and season with kosher salt. Saute the leek until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute, stirring. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Step 5 Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, milk, cream, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, and whisk to combine.
- Step 6 Roll out the dough to a large circle and transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, crimping or fluting the edge decoratively.
- Step 7 Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese into the pie plate. Top with the leeks, spreading them out to cover the cheese in an even layer. Top with the sausage, spreading it out. Top the sausage with the remaining cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
- Step 8 Arrange the tomato slices on top of the pie, as fancy or as casual as you like. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little more salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan.
- Step 9 Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie guard, and bake 30 to 35 minutes more, until the top of the pie is golden brown and the center of the filling is just set.
- Step 10 Remove the pie to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the basil before slicing and serving.
