I love, and always have great results with, Mark Bittman's pie crust:

http://www.howtocookeverything.com/recipes/flaky-piecrust

After that, you can mix/match with any filling recipe you like. The filling is the easy part. Good luck!

I have to admit that the Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust is my go-to recipe and it's essentially idiot-proof. I use it for quiche, pumpkin pie, apple pie, anything! It has always come out flaky and tender and excellent, and when my roommate uses the recipe, we get the same results (so it seems to be cook-independent). Plus, you get two for the freezer. Extra bonus: step-by-step pictures and funny commentary. Don't fear the pie crust! It's a great way to make use of those leftovers (as pot pie)!

Smitten Kitchen's all-butter pie crust is my favourite basic short crust recipe, requires no special tools beyond a pastry cutter, and always gives good results for me:

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/

The one change I make is that instead of drizzling all of the water called for in the recipe on at once, I add a little at a time and mix it in gently with a fork, adding only as much as I need for the dough to hold together.

Once it's made, as barlowgirl says, add any filling that you like!

I have great results with William-Sonoma's Flaky pie dough recipe:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/flaky-pie-dough.html

Used it for a Thanksgiving covered apple pie - the recipe easily doubles.
Couple tips - make sure the butter and water are cold. I stuck a 3/4th-ish full half-cup measuring cup in the freezer for a few minutes which worked rather well.

Start with something easy like this tart: single crust, easy to make in a food processor, very forgiving and delicious

http://www.marthastewart.com/314891/rustic-plum-tart

And then move on to a real butter pie crust made by hand, this is more or less what I do:
http://www.designsponge.com/2012/11/small-measures-making-perfect-pie-dough.html

Remember, in pie dough, butter is everything.

The America's Test Kitchen vodka pie crust is great for beginners. The vodka contains alcohol, which does not form gluten like water does. As a result, your dough is moist and easy to work with, but you don't get a tough, gluey result when it's finished baking.

Even more important than the specific recipe, remember that you want to keep everything chilled, which is especially key if your kitchen is warm or if your workspace is next to a warm oven.

I like to start by scooping out the flour into a bowl and popping it in the fridge or freezer. I keep shortening in the fridge so it's nice and cold, and use hard-chilled butter. When the recipe says "ice water," use plenty of ice and let it chill. Let the dough rest in the fridge to absorb the ice water before rolling.

I prefer to rub the fat in by hand rather than cutting it in with a pastry cutter or knife. Because my hands tend to be toasty warm, for pastry-making I rinse or dunk them in cold water after I wash them.

And if the dough starts warming up while you're rolling --- or if you start getting frustrated --- don't be afraid to take a break and let it (or you) cool down! I do the first stage of rolling (before the rolled-out crust is too big) on a flexible cutting mat, which means I can stop at any point, pop it into the fridge, and let it chill.

You can also start with a graham cracker crust, to get your feet wet in the piemaking world:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/frozen-key-lime-pie-recipe3/index.html

After making many, many pies, here's my recipe that's a modification of the one in the NYT Cookbook. But whatever recipe for crust you use, there are a couple pieces of very inexpensive equipment that I think make a big difference in your end result.

And perhaps most important, the ingredients for crust are very inexpensive, so practice, practice, practice. The more pie crusts you make, the better your "feel" for the dough.

Equipment:
Pastry cutter: The ones where the tines are flat like blades are significantly better than the ones with wire. Even the fanciest one isn't likely to be more than $10 - most are around $5. You absolutely don't need a food-processor to make crust (personally, the processor crusts I've tried have turned out tough compared to hand cut). And the "two fork" technique in some recipes strikes me as just silly.

Cruet: Just a cheap 99 cent one with a small hole on the top that lets the contents out a drop at a time. It's the easiest way to add the water just a little at a time to avoid clumps.

Waxed paper: For wrapping the dough while it rests and for the fool-proof rolling method below.

Having the shortening and water truly ice cold is also key -- I store the shortening in the fridge so it's always well-chilled.

Recipe:
In very big mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups flour and 3/4t salt; add 2/3 cup of well-chilled shortening (or even better, 1/3c shortening and 1/3c lard - I know it might sound gross, but it makes a very flaky crust and the dough is flexible and easy to work with). Cut it in with a pastry cutter just until the pieces are a bit bigger than large peas -- the fat shouldn't be evenly distributed, it's the unevenness that gives flakiness (Alton Brown taught me that).

With a big fork in one hand and a cruet filled with ice cold water (ice cold is key) in the other, shake the water in as you toss (not stir) the dough with the fork. The amount you need will vary with the dryness of your flour and the humidity in the room. Shake in water until the dough holds its shape when you squeeze it into a ball.

Divide the dough in half (I make the one for the bottom crust just slightly larger than the top crust); form each into a ball; place each on a large sheet of waxed paper and press it down so it makes a thick disc; wrap each up in their paper and let rest in the fridge for a half hour. Don't skip this step - it rechills the fat and lets the flour absorb the water so the crust will be tender and flaky rather than tough.

Foolproof method for rolling: lightly dampen your work surface and then put a large sheet of waxed paper on it (it will stick with the water). Flour the paper and your rolling pin and roll out dough evenly to approx 1/8 inch thick. Put your pie plate next to the edge of the paper/dough; slide your hand under the paper and flop it over into the pie plate.

For a two-crusted pie; put in your filling of choice and repeat the rolling and flopping process with the top crust. Tightly crimp the two crust together with floured fingers and trim the excess around the edge with a paring knife. Cut five or six slits in the center of the top crust to let steam out. Bake according to the recipe.

One of the easiest fillings to use is frozen blueberries - no need to thaw them and no peeling, pitting or slicing. Follow the measurements on the back of the box of Minute Tapioca.

This makes the right amount of dough for a two crust 9 inch pie plate. For a deep dish pie, you can increase the recipe by a third (3c flour; 1c shortening etc).

Have fun - pie crust isn't at all as scary as some folks make it out to be.

I should have added just in case -- peel off the waxed paper after you put it in the pie plate. >^..^<

A few tips I've known come in handy:
1) Use a recipe with apple cider vinegar, it further tenderizes the pie crust and ensures flakiness
2) Keep your fats cold!!
3) To avoid the issue of rolling out dough, you can lay a piece of clingfilm on a surface, put the disc of dough on it, then cover with another piece of clingfilm and roll that way, then peel it off onto your pie plate. Saves a lot of hassle, especially if you're baking/cooking a lot of other things (like for Thanksgiving!) and don't want to wash all the dishes.

Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible contains great recipes - but more important - very detailed step-by-step instructions. Last winter I worked my way through parts of this book, and while complicated, her detailed instructions are like having your older sister looking over your shoulder. Really helpful.

If you're looking for something rustic, where you can pretend it's "supposed" to look like that... lol... try making a galette or crostata, which is essentially a pie without the pan. So simple and it will make working w/the dough that much easier because you just fold the edges over the filling and leave a hole in the center. (google it for images)

Then, when you're feeling like you really know how to handle your dough - just bust it into a pie plate. Soon, you'll be making double-crusted beauties!

I also love the Pioneer Woman's recipe. I use three or four different recipes, this one is my 'everyday' piecrust, over the holidays I keep balls of this in the freezer to roll out as needed.

The other one I use a lot is Cook's Illustrated Vodka crust - basically, a standard crust but subbing vodka for half the water allows you to make a wetter dough that's easier to work and roll out but less susceptible to toughness (gluten doesn't develop in alcohol.)

A trick: freeze your fats ahead of time, and use the large-sized grater on your food processor or hand grater to grate the fat if you're making lots of pie (or don't care about cleaning your food processor.) This works especially well if you're working with butter.

What to look for: when you roll out your piecrust, you should be able to see little lumps of fat in it - it should look all freckly, with the fat freckles (after rolling out) being about the size of a pea or bean.

There is a lot of good advice above. Take time to sort it out and you will find that a lot of it is similar.

Make a few crusts and keep it simple. The less paranoia and mysticism, the better. Pie does not care for tension or anxiety.

If it flops, figure it out. It probably won't.

Keep it cold and keep your hands away from the dough.

Let the dough rest in the refrigerator before shaping.

Making pocket pies or pie crust cookies is a fun way to start.

Be sure you can make good coffee or tea to go with your pies. You will not lack for friends.

Make a galette! Somehow not having to mess with a pie tin makes everything easier, plus you can make as much or as little as you want more easily since you're not having to worry about filling a pan.

i made my first "pie" this past weekend using the recipe below. I've messed up almost every pastry recipe ever and this worked great, even after i had to reshape because i didnt add enough flour to my surface when rolling it out.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/rustic-apple-tart

If you have a food processor, the Serious Eats pie crust recipe is pretty foolproof and very fast. It's definitely my favorite recipe!

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/easy-pie-dough-recipe.html?ref=search

I was very intimidated by pie crust, but use a food processor - twenty pulses is perfect! I also have been known to chill the bowl I'm using in a sink full of ice water, chill my HANDS in a sink full of ice water, and obviously use very cold water in the pie crust itself. Maybe overkill but hey it ends up flaky.

I second the suggestions for Pioneer Woman or Smitten Kitchen. I never thought I could bake a pie either :)

I'd recommend starting out with some kind of rustic pie, like a galette or tart. These aren't shaped in a pie pan and allow for free form shaping AKA it doesn't have to look perfect! Here are a couple good ones:

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/01/flaky-blood-orange-tart/
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/crusty-apple-pie-recipe

Pie crust isn't difficult. Just keep everything - your bowl, pastry cutter or knives, fat, etc. COLD. Refrigerate it all for awhile before working with it. You'll get a nice flaky crust every time.

I love making pies! I generally prefer savory pies, though. I make pie crust several times a week, and I've developed an easy and reliable way to go, with a few secrets. Don't fear the crust!!
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/10/13/dont-fear-the-crust/

For a sweet pie I like to use more of a shortbread crust, with a little sugar and egg in it, and maybe some vanilla or cinnamon.

Here's a simple, classic blueberry pie (and honey ice cream!)
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/07/02/blueberry-pie-honey-ice-cream-with-smoked-sea-salt/

I also like to make tarts with various cookie-like crusts. It's easier than making a pie, in some ways, because you can press it into your tart pan.

Here's a strawberry tart with a cocoa hazelnut crust and white chocolate pastry cream
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/06/12/strawberry-tart-with-white-chocolate-pastry-cream-hazelnut-cocoa-crust/

And an apricot pistachio tart...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/06/14/apricot-pistachio-tart/

Good luck! The most important thing is to have fun!

I can't do anything and I can make a pie. I've never baked a cake in my life but I can make a pie. I use butter because I usually have butter in my house. I usually do one crust pies because they are easier. And then do a crumble on top (brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and more butter). I like cooking my fillings because I like ooshier fillings. Trust me, you can make a pie!

Another vote for the America's Test Kitchen recipe with vodka. Easy and great results every time.

Vote #868 for keeping everything cold. Chill the ingredients, chill the bowls, chill everything again between steps. I've made two pie crusts from scratch in my life using two different recipes, and they both turned out great.

The vodka crust recipe from Cook's Illustrated was the one I used this Thanksgiving, and it turned out fabulous.

Keeping everything cold is important, yes. Lately I've been adding a step between mixing the dough and rolling it into balls--something called fraisage, where basically you take little bits of the dough and sort of smear them across your work surface. This creates alternating layers of butter and flour in the dough, which during baking creates that flaky structure that's so desirable. By using this method, I've actually been able to get nice tender whole wheat crusts for quiche, so they feel a little more guilt-free, despite the butter.

The first 3 minutes or so of this video shows what pastry dough should look like as it's coming together, and explains a little of the chemistry of pasty dough as well. It's better to show than to tell, after all, ha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWDGAxaBPz8

David Lebovitz's chocolate pecan pie! It was my first pie from scratch but it's so easy you feel like you're cheating! Especially when people keep doting on your pie and how delicious it tastes!

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/12/chocolate-pecan-pie-recipe/

These are awesome tips, thanks everyone! One more to add--America's Test Kitchen also has a press-in pie dough recipe in their baking book. I know this because I also have a pie crust phobia and I'm always looking for an easy way out. :)