Sue Lyon's Tomato Pie Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called tomato pie? ›

This cheese-free recipe stems from the Southern portion of Italy, where tomatoes and olives are more plentiful than dairy cows. Somehow during its transatlantic journey, Sicilian pizza shed the onions and anchovies and was renamed, Ellis Island–style, "tomato pie."

Pizza, said Mr. Cinotto, was more widespread in America than it was in Italy come the mid-20th century. Those regional nuances were lost on Americans new to the food. “Italians call it pizza, but we call this an All-American tomato pie,” reads the introduction to a tomato pie recipe in a Feb.

Old-fashioned Philly tomato pie is a bit hard to explain to outsiders. It's distinctly different from everyday pizza—the best tomato pies come room temperature from old-school neighborhood bakeries rather than hot from a pizzeria. No toppings and no cheese, save for a scant shake of Romano or Parmesan.

The Southern tomato pie is a tomato dish from the Southern United States. It consists of a pie shell with a filling of tomatoes (sometimes with basil or other herbs), covered with a topping of grated cheese mixed with either mayonnaise or a white sauce.

Tomato pie has been sold by Iannelli's Bakery in Philadelphia since 1910. In Utica, New York, the family that would later found O'Scugnizzo's Pizzeria in 1914 sold tomato pies from their basem*nt for several years prior, starting in 1910.

While many Americans have never heard the term, it is used widely in the Northeastern United States. The phrase was first used in New York City, the first American city to introduce pizza from Italy. In addition to referring to a large slice, New Yorkers also refers to a single slice as a pie.

Well, they are strikingly similar, except Philly uses a thick, pasty sauce that tends to be sweet and seasoned lightly with Italian seasoning. The Utica version I reviewed here used more of a hearty marinara sauce with fresh basil in it and virtually no sweetness.

Served by Italian bakeries in South Philadelphia since the early twentieth century, the tomato pie became known by many names: church pie, square pizza, red pizza, granny pizza, and red pie.

Back at the turn of the century, there was no refrigeration so toppings were very basic. This gave birth to the tomato pie. The classic New Haven tomato pie is simple: dough, crushed Italian tomatoes, pecorino romano, and EVOO. That's it. Later, anchovies, garlic, and onions were also added.

The tomato pie won me over with its flavorful and rich sauce, its crunchy and bread-like crust, and its lack of cheese topping.

What is the difference between Philly and Trenton tomato pies? ›

While the Philadelphia tomato pie is thick, Trenton tomato pie is round, thin-crusted and includes a layer of cheese between the crust and the topping of tomato sauce. Another difference is the flavor profile of the sauces, with Philadelphia's herbal savoriness contrasting with Trenton's slight sweetness.

Though it originated at a bakery called Scalea's in Germantown more than 75 years ago before moving east under a new name and new ownership, this sweet-sauced take on tomato pie is a Northeast Philly icon.

Utica tomato pie is a regional dish popular in Utica, New York, and surrounding areas. It is distinct from traditional pizza in that it typically lacks cheese or has only a minimal amount, and the sauce is spread on top of the crust rather than underneath any toppings.

David Shields, a historian of southern food and the author of the new book Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine, told me that savory tomato pies have roots in the south as far back as the 1830s, when they included a meat, like beef or mutton, that was eventually excised from the recipe.