Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Crumble a large piece of parchment paper and press it into the pie crust. Fill the parchment paper with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the pie weights/beans and parchment paper. Set the pie crust back into the oven for another 12-15 minutes until golden and fully cooked through.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

For the lemon curd: In a medium pot, whisk the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and salt until well combined. Set over the stovetop on medium-low heat and whisk frequently, until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low and whisk until thickened and gel-like, about 2-3 more minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter.

Pour the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve (to catch any clumps or overcooked bits) positioned right over the cooled crust.

Smooth the curd into an even layer.

Let cool at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours. Remove the pie from the fridge when you begin to make the meringue topping.

To make the meringue topping, in a large heatproof bowl (or metal bowl of an electric stand mixer), whisk the egg whites and sugar until well combined.

Fill a medium pot with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Set the egg-sugar bowl on top of the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Whisk the egg-sugar mixture often, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the egg-sugar bowl from the pot and let cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk in vanilla and cream of tartar.

Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, or handheld beaters, whip the egg-sugar mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Spread the meringue on top of the chilled pie and pile it high.

Use a blow torch to brown the outside of the meringue (be sure to read the directions carefully that come with the blow torch).

Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.