To make the crust: Put the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 to 15 seconds.
Place this into a bowl and sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over the mixture. With a large spoon, stir the mixture into a ball, adding a little more ice water if it seems too dry. Wrap this in plastic or parchment, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Drape the dough over the rolling pin, then move into a pie plate and unfold.
Using your fingers, gently press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides, then trim the excess to about 1/2 inch all around. Press the edges of the crust with a fork or your fingers. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake the pie crust until it is slightly firm and becoming golden, about 15 to 20 minutes (it may puff up a bit and blister some, but that won't be noticed once it's filled). Remove and cool on a wire rack before filling