Make the crust: in a food processor, blend together the flour and about 1 tsp. of salt. Using cold butter, cut it into little pieces (1 tbsp. or smaller) and add to the food processor and pulse until all butter pieces are pea sized. 

Add 3 tbsp. of COLD water, one at a time, pulsing in between each one. For the third, blend on low until the dough all comes together. Remove from the food processor and onto a lightly floured surface, gather the dough together, and wrap in plastic and let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 mins to 2 hours. All of this can also be done by hand with knives and a rubber spatula, or with a pastry hand blender/cutter. 

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and lay onto some paper towel. Generously salt both sides and lay on the paper towel to let moisture leave the slices. This is important so your pie isn’t too moist and runny when cooked.

Caramelize the onions: heat up about 1.5 tsp. of olive oil in a small skillet on medium low heat. Add the onion strips and sugar. Stir together and let cook on medium low heat. They'll need to cook like this for about 15 minutes until translucent and lightly browned, not burnt. Low and slow! This will add great flavor.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 now.

Make the filling: in a mixing bowl, add the mayo, shredded cheese, some salt and pepper, some paprika, and the chopped basil.

Take the dough ball out of the refrigerator. Flour a clean surface, and roll the dough out until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Make sure your rolling pin and dough are well floured so nothing sticks! You do not need a perfect circle - just roll until you have a large enough circle/square like shape that will rest nicely inside your pie pan and you can gently press the crust to the inside of the pie pan. You should have dough hanging over…that’s fine! Keep it there for now.

Fill your pie: first layer in the mayo and cheese mixture and spread evenly in the bottom. Next, take all slices of tomato and layer on top. As you take each slice, pat both sides to soak any remaining loose liquid from them. Your tomatoes should overlap and you shouldn’t be able to see much of the cheese and mayo mixture below. Top with the caramelized onions, spread out, and top with more fresh basil leaves.

Now, let’s address that extra crust along the edges. Roll the extra dough in towards your pie - do this all around the edge until there’s no more scraggly edges remaining and it’s a nice circle. You can bake like this OR use a fork to press into the edges for a nice look. Another method is to place your left thumb and pointer finger along the outside of the rolled up dough and press your right pointer finger in between them from the inside of the dough. Do this all around the pie for a nice professional appearance. Our just leave it rustic. It’s up to you!

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting so it holds together better. Top with more fresh basil and some fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!