Ricotta Pomodoro Pie
I don't know about you, but my garden tomatoes are going crazy right now! Don't have a garden? Well stop by the local farmer's market or grocery, and pick up some sweet summertime tomatoes, and get cooking. My Ricotta Pomodoro Pie recipe is light and refreshing, and the rosemary cornmeal crust adds a crunchy comfort to this tasty tart. It pairs perfectly with a light pinot noir, and is the ideal meal for an evening outdoors.
Ingredients for Crust:
- 1 c. cornmeal (preferably fine ground)
- 1 c. flour
- 1 c. butter, room temperature softened
- ¼ c. ice water
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp. coarse ground salt
- 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Method - Crust First.
1. On a cutting board, remove rosemary leaves from stem. Sprinkle with the coarse ground salt and pepper, and run your knife through the mixture to roughly chop. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add cornmeal, flour and butter. Lightly run your fingers through the mixture to break up the butter, incorporating the dry ingredients until crumbles form.3. Add herb mixture to the bowl. Start to pour in the ice water, 2 Tbs. at a time, and continue to work the dough until you form a rough ball. If your dough comes together with less than the full ¼ c. of water, don’t add any more. You don’t want the dough consistency to be too soft like batter.4. Press dough into a 10 inch non-stick tart pan with removable bottom OR pie dish to form a crust. Lightly poke the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork.5. Bake crust off for 10 minutes at 375°. Remove from oven, and set aside until filling is ready. Ingredients for Filling:
- 2 c. ricotta cheese (or 1 small 15oz. container)
- 1 c. plain greek yogurt or sour cream (or 1 small 6 oz. container)
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
- salt and pepper
- fresh basil as garnish
Method - Filling.
Meanwhile:1. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, egg, garlic and a dash of salt and pepper to season.
2. Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust.
3. Arrange the tomato wedges on top of the ricotta filling. Some of them may sink into the mixture a bit. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper if desired.4. Bake at 375° for 55-60 minutes, until filling has set up to a firm, spongy consistency, and crust is golden brown. Tomatoes will appear lightly roasted.5. Top with fresh basil, and serve in slices.
