Ricotta Tomato Pie

The use of good quality ricotta cheese, fresh tomatoes, and pesto make a combination that is truly out of this world.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 sheet refrigerated pie crust dough
8 large ripe plum tomatoes
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
egg wash

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle and place into a non-stick pie pan, leaving an inch of pastry standing up. Cook for 5 minutes.

Cut two of the tomatoes into a small dice. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Fold in the pesto and the tomatoes. Pour into the pie shell.

Slice the remaining tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds and spread around the top of the pie. Fold the edges galette style (see photo). Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake until tomatoes are dry and pie is golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest 8 minutes or so before slicing and serving.

Note: You can take this pie recipe in several directions by adding chopped black olive or chopped marinated artichoke hearts. You can skip the pesto and just add a little olive oil and herbs of your choice.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.