This recipe is from the post: Savoring Summer’s Tomatoes

Cooks Note:  This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s Tomato Tart recipe, which uses onions in the bottom of the tart, and a desire to cross that idea with the flavors of a Caprese salad.

Serves 6

1 – 9 inch frozen ready to use pie crust, whole wheat or plain
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 – medium vidalia or other sweet onions, peeled trimmed, sliced in half and then sliced thinly into half moons
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/4” slices, drained on a paper towel and pat dry
6 – oz. small balls of soft buffalo-style mozzarella, sliced about 1/8” thick, drained on a paper towel and pat dry
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (rolled flat leaves and cut cross-wise into thin strips)
1 extra tsp olive oil
Extra kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Keep the pie crust frozen until ready to use.

Heat the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and the garlic and saute for about 10-12 minutes, until the onions are soft and just beginning to turn light brown. Add the thyme, oregano, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp ground pepper and the 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the onion mixture and cook another 8 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and spread evenly into the bottom of the pie crust.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese evenly over the onion mixture, layer 1/2 of the mozzarella evenly over the Parmesan, top with a single layer of tomato slices. Drizzle 1/2 tsp of olive oil evenly over the tomatoes, add a pinch of kosher salt and a grind of black pepper to the tomato layer, then sprinkle 1/2 of the basil over that. Make one more even layer of the mozzarella, then the tomatoes, the remaining 1/2 tsp of olive oil, salt, pepper, the remaining basil, and lastly sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.

Transfer the pie to the oven, making sure that if the instructions for the pie crust require placing it on a cookie sheet first, you do so (otherwise the tin may fold up on you and break your crust), and if not, then move it carefully directly to the oven rack. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is bubbling and golden brown on top with golden edges of crust. Watch the edges of your crust as it cooks, and cover just the edges of the crust with aluminum foil if they start to get too brown before the pie is ready. When the pie is done, remove it from the oven and let stand 5 minutes, cut into 6 pieces and serve. This makes a juicy savory pie, that sets up some as it cools.