Judy’s Tomato Torte

Ingredients

1 pie shell
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided 
3 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Place tomato slices on a paper towel. Fit pie crust into a 10-inch pie pan, trimming to fit. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese evenly into cooked pastry shell and top with 2 tablespoons basil. Arrange tomato slices on top, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place torte on baking sheet on lower rack of oven. Bake at 400 F for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.