Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pie
This savory pie calls for roasting tomatoes to concentrate their flavor, then layering them with two kinds of cheese atop a garlic-butter crust for a result as dramatic as it is delicious.
Servings: 1 9″ diameter pie
Equipment
- A (9"-diameter) springform pan
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes cored, sliced (¼”) thick
Crust*
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided, plus more
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 9 ounces Stoned Wheat Thins or other whole grain crackers
- 2 large eggs
Filling
- 10 ounces Taleggio cheese** rind removed, coarsely grated (about 1½ cups)
- 2½ ounces finely crumbled Parmesan*** about ½ cup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme plus ½ teaspoon leaves
- 1 small shallot thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 475°F. Arrange tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, covering entire surface (it’s okay if they overlap). Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes begin to look dry on top, 25–30 minutes. Let cool.
Crust*
- Meanwhile, cook garlic and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling often, until butter foams and milk solids turn golden, 5–7 minutes. Strain garlic butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup; transfer garlic and toasty bits to a cutting board. Finely chop and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Pulse crackers and ¼ tsp. salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form (you should have about 2 cups). Add eggs and 6 Tbsp. garlic butter and pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand; set remaining garlic butter aside. Transfer to springform pan. Using a flat-bottomed measuring cup, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and 1½” up sides of pan. Bake crust until edge is just starting to take on color, 8–10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let crust cool.
Filling
- Mix Taleggio, Parmesan, mayonnaise, chopped thyme, remaining ½ tsp. salt, remaining ¼ tsp. pepper, and reserved chopped garlic in a medium bowl. Gently dollop half of cheese mixture over bottom of crust, then spread into an even layer with an offset spatula (don’t press too hard or you will break the crust). Layer half of tomato slices over and press down to even out layers. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and tomatoes. Brush remaining garlic butter over tomatoes. Top with shallot and thyme leaves.
- Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake pie until filling is bubbling vigorously and crust is browned, 60–75 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool 1 hour before serving.
- Do Ahead: Pie can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely and chill.
Notes
*This crust can be tricky. The first time I tried this recipe, I did not use the proper amount of crackers, and the crust ended up falling apart. The second time I tried, I used the right amount of crackers, and the result was better, but the crust was a little dry. (The final baking time of 60-75 minutes seemed long.) I think the next time, I will either use a more conventional crust, either home-made or store-bought. The tricky thing with a store-bought crust is to somehow ensure that the crust is infused with the roasted garlic butter. Home-made is probably better, with suitable modifications.
**I couldn’t find Taleggio cheese in our local supermarket, but they did have Artikaas Parèggio cheese (“a cross between a nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano and a creamy Gouda”), so I used that.
***For convenience, I substituted Stella Italian 3-Cheese Blend. I think it turned out fine.
