Preheat the oven to 425℉.

Place the pie dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Once chilled, line the center of the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with ceramic pie weights or uncooked beans. Bake for 15 minutes so the shape of the crust sets before removing the parchment paper and pie weights. Bake the empty crust for about 15 additional minutes, or until the whole crust is nicely golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

Filling

Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks.

Heat over medium, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles, which can take 5-8 minutes. Once thickened, continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, still whisking constantly.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter one piece at a time. Whisk in the vanilla and vanilla bean paste. Immediately pour half the mixture into the bottom of the cooled pie crust and smooth.

Place enough sliced banana over the bottom layer of filling until it’s fully covered. Pour the remaining filling over the top of the bananas and smooth. Cover the hot filling with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap makes contact with all of the filling so it doesn’t form a film over the top as it cools.

Chill the pie in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.

Before serving, top with whipped cream and additional sliced bananas as desired.