Rustic Tomato Zucchini Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Made entirely of produce from my backyard garden, this free-form tomato and zucchini pie has a savory cornmeal crust and a filling of ricotta and parmesan cheeses. It’s a perfect summer dish!
August is here! And with it a whole delicious avalanche of fresh and seasonal produce. This is one of my favorite times of the year, when I gobble up or preserve as many peaches, plums, sweet corn, and tomatoes I can get my hands on before the summer is up.
Speaking of tomatoes, I don’t think I’ll have a problem getting my fill this year. We had a few plants come up on their own this spring, from cherry tomatoes that fell from our plants last fall and became seed. I left them, curious to see what would happen.
Well they are now almost 5 feet tall and have taken over the entire garden. I expect no fewer than one billion cherry tomatoes this summer. Heaven help me.
But tomatoes aren’t the only thing we’re growing. We also have a zucchini plant chugging away and a bunch of herbs, among other things. I make some variation of this tomato and zucchini pie every summer, as a way to use up the bounty from our garden, and I decided that this year I’d share it with you.
There’s no hard and fast rule here— feel free to use any pie crust, add additional veggies, sub in other cheeses, etc. You can’t mess it up, whatever you do will be fantastic. And you’re gonna want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
baking tip:How to make pie crust in the food processor
1) Pulse the dry ingredients to combine.
2) Add the cubed cold butter and pulse 3-4 times to break up into smaller chunks.
3) With the food processor running, add the liquid.
4) Continue running the food processor until the dough begins to come together. The food processor will actually start to make a different sound as the dough thickens. This should take 5 – 10 seconds total, do not over mix.
5) Mixture should still be crumbly. Dump out onto a clean surface and bring together into a ball with your hands.
For more tips and step-by-step photos, see my full tutorial.
Rustic Tomato Zucchini Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- ⅓ cup cornmeal (35 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold and cubed (85 grams)
- 2 large egg yolks , lightly beaten
- 1-2 tablespoons ice cold water
- 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water , for egg wash
Filling:
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese , whole or skim (170 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ tablespoon fresh basil , chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme , chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese , divided (100 grams)
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes , halved (180 grams)
- 1 medium zucchini , thinly sliced
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Add flour, cornmeal, and salt to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse 3-4 times until the cubes are broken up a bit. Combine the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the water. Add to the food processor while it is running. Continue to run until mixture begins to come together into a ball, about 5-10 seconds. Add more water, if necessary. Shape into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
To make the filling and assemble the pie:
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, and 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the crust dough out into a rough 12-inch circle. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture in the center of the dough, leaving about 3-4 inches clear around the edges. Top with the sliced zucchini and tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Season with more salt and pepper.
- Fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling. Brush with egg wash. Bake on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper until crust is golden, 40-45 minutes.
- Let sit 15 minutes before serving. Can be served hot or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I am starving right now, and this is not helping! Man that looks good. So summery and delish!
I’m literally drooling over these gorgeous pictures! I have a true passion for savory pies and let me tell you this one is probably one of the most delicious I’ve ever seen. Can’t wait to recreate it myself!
xo, Elisa
I often forget about savory pies, thanks to my sweet tooth. But then I bake something like this and wonder why I don’t do it more often! Thank you for the kind comment, Elisa!
This is totally my kind of meal. Love the crust, love the simplicity, love the flavour!
Thank you, Katrina! 🙂
This looks soooo good! I’m obsessed with savory pies!
I love savory baking and this is a great way to enjoy summer’s veggies. I love it!
Thanks Flavia! Wish we could share a slice over some girl chat. 🙂
I would love that. One of these days, I’ll make it to SLC so we can bake, chat, eat and shop together. 🙂 Sending big hugs from TX. Miss you, friend! xo
This looks just heavenly!
How many people would you say this serve? I’m going to a potluck and might make this! Trying to determine if I will need 2 of them….
I would say that it serves 4-6. Depends on if it’s a main course or side dish (how big of slices, if everyone get’s just one slice, etc.). Hope this helps!
That does help, thanks! I will be making two of them!
This crust did NOT work for me. It was crumbly and sticky at the same time. I couldn’t roll it out without constantly putting flour on the rolling pin, and then it fell apart when I tried to transfer it to the baking sheet. It did not fold at all.
Got too many cherry tomatoes? I had the same experience this summer with seeds from last year’s crop that took root and then took over my garden beds. My advice, aside from making your wonderful zucchini tomato pie, try dehydrating some to enjoy all winter. Alternatively, if you end up with lots of green cherry tomatoes, I highly recommend making some green tomato marmalade. It’s a bit of an acquired taste but once you try it on toast you will be hooked for life by the end of the first slice.