What else is there to say but “delicious”? I am from the Midwest and never heard of tomato pie until I was writing about a Southern chef’s favorite take on one. . . . I made it and then was totally hooked. It’s kind of like a quiche, but a little tangier and homier. (So don’t worry if your crust doesn’t look Pinterest worthy—imperfection is all part of this rustic tart’s charm.) Of course, it’s called a slab pie because this bad boy isn’t served in slices—it’s lifted out from the pan in sheets! Note that this recipe does take a bit of time to make . . . but I promise it’s well worth the effort and you’ll bask in the accolades. Of course, if you want to plan ahead, you can make the crust up to two days in advance and refrigerate it either as a rectangle (Step 1) or rolled out and fitted into the pan (Step 2); or freeze it, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 2 months. You’ll need a 10 x 16-inch jelly-roll pan for this recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 2½ sticks (10 ounces) cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup ice water
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups tomatoes (quartered if large, halved if using cherry tomatoes or other small tomatoes)
- 1. To make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor combine the sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and pulse until the sage is finely chopped, four or five (1-second) pulses. Add the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and sugar and process until well combined. Add the butter and pulse until there aren’t any butter pieces larger than a small pea, about ten (1-second) pulses. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing once between each addition, until you can squeeze the dough in your palm without it falling apart, about eight pulses in all. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
- 2. Place the chilled dough on a sheet of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and put another piece on top. Roll the dough into an 11 x 17 x ½-inch-thick rectangle (it should be just a tad bigger than the size of your sheet pan). Remove the parchment from the top and flip the dough onto a rimmed jelly roll–size sheet pan. Peel away the other sheet of parchment (save it for Step 3) and adjust the dough so it fits into the edges of the pan. Fold the edges of the dough over and pinch, crimp, or press down on them with the tines of a fork to make a decorative edge.
- 3. Refrigerate the dough in the sheet pan for 30 minutes, or freeze for 15 minutes. If you plan to let the dough rest longer, cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap. Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and another to the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 4. Line the dough with the reserved parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and top with pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the parchment. Bake the crust on the lower-middle rack until the edges are golden and the dough doesn’t look shiny or raw when you lift the parchment, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, remove the parchment and pie weights, and set aside.
- 5. To make the filling: While the crust bakes, whisk the mayonnaise, buttermilk, eggs, ¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the scallions and basil and then pour the filling into the crust. Arrange the tomatoes on top. (I like them scattered and rustic looking.) Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup cheese over the top and return the pie to the oven until the filling is golden brown and resists light pressure, 18 to 20 minutes.
- 6. Move the pie to the upper-middle rack and turn the broiler to high. Broil the pie until it blisters in spots, 1½ to 2 minutes (watch the pie closely as broiler intensities vary). Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
