Enjoy your bounty of garden tomatoes by baking a Mediterranean Tomato Pie made with tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella, feta, fresh herbs, and peppers. It's an easy garden-to-table recipe that's perfect for late summer lunches, dinners, or entertaining.
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My mom and I were recently talking about how well our tomatoes are growing this year. With so many ripening at once, we've been using them as quickly as we can while also sharing plenty with friends and family. Naturally, our conversation turned to other ways to enjoy our tomatoes beyond fresh salads and classic tomato sandwiches. That's when the idea for a summer tomato pie came to mind. Instead of making the traditional version, though, I decided to give it a Mediterranean-inspired twist.
Since our pepperoncinis are also producing just as well as the tomatoes, they were an easy addition to the pie. I paired them with a medley of fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, and basil, then folded everything into a creamy mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, and tangy feta cheese. Together, they complement the sweet acidity of the garden tomatoes while the pepperoncinis add a nice bite of peppery flavor with a gentle kick of heat.
Here's what I love about this recipe - the Mediterranean flavors are there, but the pie itself lets your garden tomatoes truly shine. I used slicing tomatoes for this pie, but adding some halved cherry tomatoes would add nice layers of sweetness. If you don't have pepperoncinis growing in your garden, you could use sweet peppers, like bell peppers or sweet banana peppers, instead.
Mediterranean Tomato Pie
One of the biggest secrets to making a successful tomato pie is removing as much moisture as possible before baking. Sprinkling a little salt over the tomatoes, letting them sit for about half an hour, and patting them dry will draw out extra moisture and help keep your pie crust crisp, golden, and delicious.
Let's start this savory pie by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven heats, slice the large garden tomatoes and lay the slices onto paper towels. Sprinkle the slices with salt to draw out moisture. Let the slices sit for about 30 minutes, then pat dry.
Next, we're going to prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and bake the crust for 10 minutes. After it's out of the oven, brush it with olive oil.
In a medium mixing bowl, add ricotta, feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, lemon zest, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (the red pepper is optional). Mix together until it's creamy.
Then, spread the mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle fresh pepperoncinis (or other sweet peppers) and red onions over the cheese mixture. Arrange the tomatoes over the top of the peppers and onions.
Put the pie back into the oven an bake for about 45 minutes, or until it's bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Let the pie rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Then, garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh herbs and serve.
Mediterranean Tomato Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
- 1 tsp. olive oil for brushing
For the tomatoes:
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 large garden tomatoes sliced thin
For the filling:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp. fresh oregano chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme chopped
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes optional
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh pepperoncinis sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice the large tomatoes and spread them out on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 20-30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat slices dry thoroughly.
- Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork several times. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush lightly with olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, lemon zest, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Mix until creamy.
- Spread the cheese mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the pepperoncinis and onions over the cheese. Then, arrange the tomato slices over the top.
- Bake pie for 40-45 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly golden brown.
- Let pie rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- If desired, garnish with fresh herbs and cracked black pepper.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Leftover tomato pie can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. I would avoid reheating slices in the microwave since the pie crust can soften. Instead, heat slices in a 350 degree oven or toaster until warmed through. This pie is even better the next day!
Did you make this Mediterranean Tomato Pie recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
