The Difference Between Tomato Pie And Pizza, Explained

If you find yourself in some local pizza shops in a few cities across the U.S., you will likely spot tomato pie on the menu and wonder just how different it is from a tomato sauce pizza. The tomato pie is a Northeast specialty, particularly found around Philadelphia and nearby areas. You may also find it in Upstate New York, New Jersey, or even New Haven, Connecticut, as well as other cities that were hotspots of Italian immigration in the 20th century. It's a confusing name because tomato pie and pizza were sometimes used interchangeably in the past, but what is called tomato pie today is a unique dish that evolved alongside American pizza. In fact, within these cities, there are even regional variations.

The big difference that separates tomato pie from pizza is the cheese — in the U.S., that specifically means no mozzarella. While the toppings can vary by location, tomato pie is typically made exclusively with tomato sauce and maybe some grated cheese, but not melty cheeses. As the name suggests, this gives tomato pie a very fresh, tomato-forward flavor. This isn't the deep-dish tomato pie of the South; it's still made with pizza crust and sauce instead of sliced tomatoes, but dropping the cheese makes it a very distinct experience. Beyond the fresh tomato sauce, it also makes the crust more of a standout.

The American versions of tomato pie naturally evolved from similar Italian styles that immigrants brought with them. In Philadelphia, New York, and a few other spots, tomato pie is made with a focaccia-like pan crust, topped with a thick layer of chunky tomato sauce. This is quite close to the Sicilian pizza dish sfincione, a popular street food. Sfincione gets its distinct flavor from a variety of additions used in the sauce, including anchovies, onions, olive oil, and hard grated cheese, like pecorino romano, but the American variants tend to drop most of those (other than the hard cheese) for a more tomatoey taste.

Famous pizzerias in New Haven, like Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana, make a thin crust tomato pie that's more similar to standard pizza slices. However, this recipe still drops the mozzarella and sticks to only some grated pecorino. Conversely, Trenton, New Jersey, is the one place where you can order a tomato pie with mozzarella. Here, the cheese is layered under the sauce, much like a Detroit-style pizza, and remains a very tomato-heavy slice.

If you want the most unique tomato pie, the Philadelphia-style version is probably what you're looking for. What makes tomato pie special across the board is putting the spotlight on the sauce, not the cheese. Tomato pies tend to forgo any additional toppings, other than maybe some herbs. If you are going tomato pie over pizza, don't distract from the star.