1-First, preheat your oven to 350°F and position one rack in the middle and another on the top. This setup helps with even baking and a quick caramelizing finish. Gather all your ingredients to make the process feel like a breeze.

2-Next, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then add 12 tablespoons melted unsalted butter to form the dough. Press this dough into a 9-inch tart pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly for a sturdy base.

3-Bake the crust on the middle rack for 30 minutes until it’s golden brown, then let it cool completely. While it cools, prepare the filling by heating 3/4 cup fig preserves for 40 seconds and straining to separate the liquid and solids.

4-Slice five pears into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding the cores, and cook them with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon water in a covered skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes until slightly tender. Cool these slices, then slice the remaining three pears the same way for the topping.

5-Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet, add the cooked pear slices, fig preserve solids, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender. Mash the mixture into a puree and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until thickened.

6-Spread the pear-fig puree evenly over the cooled crust and arrange the remaining pear slices in layered concentric circles. Bake the assembled tart on the middle rack at 350°F for 30 minutes. Warm the strained fig liquid for 20 seconds, brush it over the pears, and broil briefly on the top rack to caramelize, watching carefully to avoid burning.

7-Let the tart cool for at least 1.5 hours before removing from the pan by inverting over a wide can and sliding off the ring. Cut into eight slices for serving.