Pistachio Tart Shell

1. Mix together the cream, egg yolk and vanilla in a small bowl, set aside.
2. Combine 1/3 cup of pistachios with 1/4 cup of flour in a food processor, pulse until finely ground. *The flour will absorb the oils from the nuts and keep them from turning to a paste in the food processor.
3. Add the remaining flour, powdered sugar, salt and black pepper. Pulse until fully combined.
4. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the butter chunks are about the size of dimes. You want a rough texture with some floury butter chunks still visible as opposed to a smooth dough.
5. While pulsing the dough, slowly add the liquid mixture just until the dough starts to come together into a ball.
6. Remove from the food processor and combine the dough into a flattened and smooth oblong disk. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out in an oblong shape if using a rectangular tart pan or a round shape if using a round tart pan, until it is about 1/4" thick.
8. Carefully ease the dough into tart pan. If it cracks or breaks during the transfer process, use your fingers to seal the cracks.
9. Cut the excess dough off, leaving a 1" overhang all the way around. Then fold the overhanging dough back inward creating a thicker edge all the way around.  Run your rolling pin along the top edges of the tart pan trimming off the extra dough and creating a perfect tart edge.
10. Line the tart dough with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill with beans or pie weights. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges begin to turn a golden brown. Remove the foil filled with beans and bake the crust for another 5 minutes until the edges are a deep golden brown and the bottom is fully baked and golden.

Ricotta Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the ricotta, Greek yogurt, vanilla, honey and lemon zest together until smooth. 
2. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to allow the filling to set.
3. Once the filling is set and doesn't jiggle anymore, slice into 8-10 wedges. Top each wedge with a few amarena cherries and a heavy drizzle of the amarena cherry syrup. Serve immediately.