Pissaladière

Roasted Tomato Pissaladière

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Top store-bought puff pastry with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, anchovies, and olives for this popular Provençal pastry.

Martha Holmberg

Published on January 2, 2024

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Roasted Tomato Pissaladière — Photo:
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Yield:

4 to 6 servings

What’s not to love about pissaladière? This popular Provençal pastry is commonly topped with caramelized onions, olives, and anchovies. To top her version, Martha Holmberg roasts canned whole peeled tomatoes until slightly dehydrated, giving them a pleasantly chewy texture and concentrated flavor. It’s a low-effort, high-impact step that takes this snack to the next level.

Pissaladière is traditionally made with a bread dough base, but in this recipe, we call for store-bought puff pastry for greater ease and for the crispy, light, flakey crust it yields.

The tomatoes offer a very rich umami flavor, which concentrates during the roasting process. Choose high-quality anchovies; they’ll melt beautifully into the Pissaladiére during the baking process, making them buttery and delicious. The olives add meaty, earthy accents to the dish, while shavings of sharp Parmesan cheese contribute a slightly sweet, nutty note.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pissaladière?

This traditional French flatbread is similar to a pizza or savory tart and hails from the South of France. It traditionally starts with a base of bread dough; this version uses store-bought puff pastry as a shortcut.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

To reduce the anchovies’ saltiness, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.

Make ahead

Pissaladière is the ultimate dinner party recipe. Most of this dish can be prepped in advance, including the caramelized onions. Roasted canned tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 3 cups)
5 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 rosemary sprigs
1 (14-ounce) frozen puff pastry dough (such as Dufour), thawed
10 to 14 drained anchovy fillets (such as Donostia Foods Cantabrian)
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved crosswise
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Core tomatoes, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and excess liquid. Place tomatoes, cut side up, at least 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast in preheated oven until tomatoes begin to caramelize around the edges and are slightly dehydrated and chewy, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add garlic and rosemary sprigs. Cook, stirring often, until onions are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard rosemary sprigs, and set skillet aside.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll puff pastry into a 14- x 10-inch rectangle, and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread onions evenly over dough. Arrange tomatoes, anchovies, and olives over onions. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake at 450°F until pastry is golden and crispy on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.
Slide pissaladière onto a wire rack, and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Let cool 5 minutes. Garnish with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Slice and serve.