Tomatoes and bacon go together
for a seasonal main-course pie

Most people who love food love tomatoes. Midsummer is when tomatoes are ripening on the vine, and anticipation builds to when one can pluck them off and bite into their juiciness. It’s a sweet, luscious sensation that really only comes this time of the year.

We can buy tomatoes year-round in grocery stores, but nothing compares to the succulent taste of a locally grown, vine-ripened tomato. When using fresh tomatoes, I really think less is more. Let them be the star. Try dicing them raw, tossed with some fresh basil and olive oil with a pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper over your favorite pasta.

And for something different, a tomato pie is a rich and savory dish that can be served as a main course for lunch or a side dish for dinner. I only make this dish at this time of the year, with fresh-off-the-vine summer tomatoes.

You can eliminate the bacon if you are not a meat or pork eater and this pie is still delicious.

Tomato and Bacon Pie

1 package of frozen puff pastry (The popular brand comes two to a pack. Store the other in the freezer for later use)
1 large tomato or two medium, sliced thin 
4 pieces of bacon, cooked and diced (optional)
6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
6 slices of provolone cheese
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated
½ cup of parmesan cheese
2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (using kosher salt versus sea salt or table salt adds a better depth of flavor to this dish)
Fresh ground pepper

Let the puff pastry thaw on the counter, covered with a dampened clean towel. In the meantime, fry the bacon until crispy, drain and set aside. When pastry has thawed, roll out with a little flour so that it does not stick to your surface. (I use a cutting board prepared with flour.) Place the pastry in a deep 9-inch pie plate. Drizzle a little of the olive oil at the bottom and rub around the pastry at the bottom and up the sides to cover all the exposed pastry with the oil.

Place one layer or three slices of provolone cheese at the bottom. Place a layer of the sliced tomato and sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat with half the bacon, basil, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and repeat for a second layer, finishing with mozzarella and basil.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Previous Chef Jackie recipes:

Watermelon gazpacho

Beet salad

• Login or register to post comments
• Printer-friendly version
• Send by email