Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and salt for two minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in the flour and mix on low just until the flour is incorporated and the mixture looks crumbly.

Transfer the mixture to a pie plate and press into the sides and bottom. (Using the bottom of a measuring cup or a glass works really well.) Prick the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Line the pie plate with a piece of parchment and fill with pie weights (dried beans make excellent pie weights!) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and, if desired, sprinkle the bottom with a tablespoon of sugar. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until edges begin to turn a golden brown. Cool completely before filling.