Tomato Pie

Tomato pie is a type of pizza created in the late 19th early 20th century by Italian-American populations. Unlike typical New York-style pizza, which is closely related to Neapolitan pizza, tomato pie is derived heavily from Sicilian pizza, and as such can be found in predominantly Sicilian-American communities. Tomato pies are distinct from pizza due to the process of how they are created. One variety is built the opposite of pizza pies. Cheese and other toppings are added on first, then the tomato sauce. In Philadelphia, it is usually served at room temperature in rectangular sheets with little to no cheese.

The basic recipe for tomato pie calls for a thick, porous, focaccia-like dough covered with tomato sauce, more like a pizza than a covered pie, then sprinkled with grated romano cheese. Many bakeries and pizzerias have their own variation on this formula. It is not usually served straight from the oven, but allowed to cool and then consumed at room temperature or reheated. Like Sicilian pizza, tomato pie is baked in a large aluminium pan and served in square slices.

Tomato pie can be found throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Providence, Rhode Island, and to a lesser extent in downstate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, especially in and around Italian communities. Notable locations serving the dish are Trenton, New Jersey; Lewes, Delaware; the Norristown, Pennsylvania, area; and Utica, New York.