Roasted Strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Toss berries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a bowl before spreading them out into an aluminum or metal pan to bake for about 20 minutes, flipping berries halfway through.  
3. Once they have a syrupy consistency, remove from oven and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool in refrigerator.  

Crust 

1. Add your pretzels, sugar, and melted butter to your food processor. Grind pretzels into a fine, crumb-like texture, which will resemble wet sand.
2. Line your springform pan with a 9-inch round of parchment paper before using the base of a round glass to evenly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan.
3. Place in the freezer or refrigerator to firm up as you make the filling. 

Mascarpone Filling

1. Puree cold roasted strawberries in a food processor.
2. Using a chilled mixing bowl, beat cold mascarpone cheese, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on a slow speed initially for 1 minute. Then once everything is incorporated, increase to medium-high speed for 2 minutes
3. Pause mixer to add lemon juice to bowl and beat on medium-high speed (4 on my mixer) for another 30 seconds. The peaks of your filling should be medium-firm to stiff at this point - either will work.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold the strawberry puree into the mixture, reserving a few spoonfuls to add to the top of the cheesecake.
5. Evenly spread the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust. Add your reserved spoonfuls of roasted strawberries to the top, marbling with a knife. Smooth over with a spatula.
6. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, or until set.
7. Once the cheesecake has set, remove it from the refrigerator and gently slide it from the springform pan onto serving dish. If desired, garnish the cheesecake with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, or additional pretzel crumbs.