Pissaladière – A Provençal Onion Tart
Most of the recipes you'll find on my site are designed to help you make an easy dinner. But some dishes are what I call investment pieces — they take some time to prepare, but they're worth it. Pissaladière, a beautiful onion tart from Provence, is one such dish. It's a classic in French cuisine, and while it may not be generally kid-friendly, I do know some kids who love it. It's luxurious for entertaining, and everyone asks for the recipe, so here it is in case you want to try it.
To make pissaladière, all you need is some good pizza dough, onions, fresh thyme, and a few other toppings. You can buy pizza dough to roll out for your pissaladière or make your own, but if you want to make your own, you can find an easy recipe here. Once you master an easy pizza dough, life gets even more delicious! And it can be healthier when made with quality French or Italian flour. You can learn about the differences between American and French or Italian flour here.
Whether you make or buy your pizza dough, the recipes contain a fabulous dough rolling hack that is worth knowing.
Ingredients
Pizza dough
2 pounds yellow onions
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Fresh thyme — about two sprigs
Optional (but traditional!):
- Anchovy fillets — about 20 or as many as you like
- A handful of Niçoise or black cured olives
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut the onions in half, then slice them into thin strips.
Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a stainless steel or copper skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the onions, garlic, and thyme with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally until soft and golden (but not browned), at least 20 minutes. Your kitchen will smell so good!
The longer you cook them, the more caramelized and slightly sweet they will taste. I cook the onions for about 30 minutes to achieve this flavor.
Roll out your pizza dough fairly thin into a rectangle and place it on a baking sheet. (See below for an easy dough rolling and handling tip.)
Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough.
Arrange anchovy fillets in a lattice pattern, and arrange the olives on top.
Drizzle very lightly with olive oil.
Bake at 425° F for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden and crisp. Use a spatula to lift the dough to check — it should be browned and firm.
Let it cool slightly before slicing. Slice into 3- to 4-inch squares or as you like.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Pissiladiere ready to slice
Onions sautéing with thyme and garlic
Onions sautéed to golden brown
Onions spread on pizza dough
Notes:
If you're not a fan of anchovies, small dollops of goat cheese on top are delicious, too.
Pissaladière freezes well and makes an easy and quick dinner. Wrap slices in parchment paper or foil and store in an airtight container or freezer baggie. Reheat in a 375° F oven until warm.
Menu Ideas:
Pissaladière makes a wonderful party apéritif – it's also a great dish to bring.
Serve as a first course with a green salad and vinaigrette or a light main course with soup to start.
I also freeze it and serve a few slices as a main dish along with a first course of soup or salad for an easy dinner — or whatever else is on hand.
Pissaladière served with butternut squash & sage bisque, dry sausage, and clementines