La Pizza Express

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 pre-baked 8" pie shell
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 to 5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup salami or pepperoni, cut into slivers
½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated coarsely
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
halved black olives and parsley sprigs, as garnishes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until limp, 8 to 10 minutes. Salt and pepper lightly and remove them to a bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet and add the mushrooms. Toss and fry until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper them and add them to the onions. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until the tomatoes soften and only about 2 or 3 tablespoons of liquid remain in the pan, 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper them, discard the bay leaf and add the tomatoes to the other vegetables. Fold the salami into the mixture. Cool.

Place half of the vegetable mixture into the baked pie shell. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with the remaining vegetables, then the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with oregano.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the cheese melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with black olives. Let the pie sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve hot.