You can easily change the spice level of this recipe by leaving out the hot sauce, but I encourage you to try it as-is first. It’s not too spicy, and the little bit of kick really does give it that pizza flavor. Be sure to squeeze the tomato liquid as much as you can, or you’ll end up with a soggy mess. I learned that the hard way the first time I made this recipe. The second time, I was sure to give it a good few squeezes, and my pie came out perfectly. Once again, I can’t thank the chef at Simply Recipes enough for such a delicious and sophisticated way to enjoy a humble ingredient.

 

Ingredients

1 9-inch pie shell

1/2 cup chopped yellow or red onion (about 1/3 onion, diced)

3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups (700 ml) chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8 large leaves)

2 cups (8 oz, 225 g) grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella)

1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank’s Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pre-bake the pie shell in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes (a little longer for a frozen pie shell), until lightly browned.

Pre-bake it for 15 minutes, then remove the foil, use the tines of a fork to poke a few small holes in the bottom of the crust (for venting), and bake for 10 more minutes.

Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain while you are pre-baking the crust.

Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer.

Sprinkle a layer of chopped onion over the bottom of your pre-baked pie crust shell.

Spread the drained chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snowball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

Place in oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

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Quick tip: To slice basil, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, and start at one end slicing the “cigar” crosswise in thin slices.

Recipe and image courtesy of Simply Recipes