In a food processor, pulse the flour (2 ¼ cups), sugar (½ cup), and salt (½ tsp) 2 to 3 times to combine.

Add the cold butter and pulse 8 to 10 times in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Take care not to overmix.

Whisk the egg (1 large), egg yolk (1 large), and lemon zest (1 lemon) in a small bowl.

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the egg mixture and process just until the dough begins to clump, 10 to 15 seconds.

If it appears dry or crumbly, add ice water (2–4 Tbsp) 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. The dough should form moist crumbs that hold together when squeezed, and feel slightly tacky but not sticky.

Divide the dough into two parts (one slightly larger than the other), form into balls, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight to allow the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, to ensure a tender, flaky crust that’s easy to roll out.

Make the filling: Combine the ricotta (1 lb), sugar (¼ cup), and egg (1 large) in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger ball of dough into a 12-inch circle about 1⁄8 inch thick and fit it into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan.

Spread the cherry preserves (¾ cup) in an even layer on the bottom.

Top with the ricotta (1 lb) mixture and smooth the surface.

Roll out the second dough ball into a 10-inch round about 1⁄8 inch thick and lay it over the filling. Trim the excess dough and pinch the edges to seal. Cut a few small slits in the top to let steam escape.

Bake until the top crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.

Let cool completely in the pan before serving. The torta is even better after resting a few hours—if you can wait that long.