Quiche Italian
Submitted by feedme
Italian-style quiche bakes a tomato-oregano custard in a pie shell with black olives, sauteed mushrooms, and Swiss or mozzarella cheese. Pizza-meets-quiche brunch dish that puffs golden in the oven.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
50 minREADY
60 minItalian quiche is what happens when pizza and a French custard tart have a baby. Beaten eggs fold into a savory tomato-oregano-garlic sauce, layered with black olives, parsley, and a kick of cayenne, then baked in a pie shell with sauteed mushrooms and grated Swiss or mozzarella melted on top.
The critical step is letting the cooked tomato sauce cool before folding it into the eggs. Hot sauce scrambles the eggs on contact, killing the lift that gives the quiche its puffed, custardy rise. A few extra minutes of patience here is the difference between a flat, leathery filling and a billowing one.
Mushrooms get layered on top of the egg mixture rather than mixed in, so they brown rather than steaming. The cheese goes last, melting into a golden cap as the quiche bakes. Other pizza-style toppings (pepperoni, bell peppers, pickled banana peppers) work as additions, building this into a true Italian-American crossover dish.
Pro Tips
- Cool the tomato mixture completely before combining with eggs. Test the temperature with your finger; if it’s warm, wait longer.
- Pre-saute and drain the mushrooms before adding. Raw mushrooms release water that turns the filling soggy.
- Use a sturdy ceramic or glass pie dish, not flimsy aluminum. Quiches are easy to drop when transferring to and from the oven.
- Let the quiche rest 5 minutes after baking. Cutting hot tears the structure; cooled cuts cleanly.
Variations
- Add cooked Italian sausage crumbles or sliced pepperoni for a meaty pizza-style version.
- Swap Swiss for sharp provolone for a more pronounced Italian flavor.
- Top with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil after baking for a margherita-style finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
In heavy skillet, Sauté the onion in the butter over medium heat until they are clear and tender, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.
Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
Add olives, parsley and cayenne, stirring until well blended.
Slowly fold in the tomato mixture.
(Be careful. If tomato mixture is too hot, the eggs will cook and quiche will not puff.)
f you wish you can make the quiche to this point and refrigerate mixture a few hours until you are ready to bake, but you have to add 10 to 15 minutes to baking time.
Pour the mixture into the shell.
Layer the mushrooms and any other toppings desired on top of mixture.
Then sprinkle the grated cheese over the toppings.
Bake in preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes (40 to 50 minutes if refrigerated) or until puffed and brown on top.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before slicing.
If you use aluminum disposable pie tin, be very careful moving quiche into and out of oven or quiche will take a dive for your kitchen floor.
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