Polish Strawberry Pasta (Truskawki z Makaronem)

Polish strawberry pasta consists of boiled pasta topped with a fresh strawberry sauce and sour cream. This traditional dish is simple and easy to prepare, perfect to make with summer strawberries and served as a light meal. Ready in 10 minutes!

Strawberry pasta (‘truskawki z makaronem’ in Polish) is a simple dish featuring a 4-ingredient strawberry sauce served over pasta. Polish summers have always produced an abundance of sweet strawberries and people have always come up with delicious ways of using them. Combining strawberries with pasta may seem unusual but not in a country that has never shied away from serving sweet meals (examples include sweet cheese pierogi or blueberry pierogi).

For many people today (myself included) pasta with strawberry sauce is a nostalgic dish, a childhood memory of school cafeterias and summer camps. Recent Wimbledon has reminded me just how much I used to love this delicious summer meal😊

This recipe for strawberry pasta is very similar to the one my mom used to make. The strawberry sauce is mildly sweet and creamy, perfect served over pasta for a simple meal. My mom used to just mash the strawberries with a fork, but because I am using quite a lot of strawberries, I took a shortcut and used a blender, instead. The result is very similar (see Instructions below for details).

Strawberry pasta ingredients and substitutions

• Strawberries: use fresh, rather than frozen (see details below).
• Pasta: use medium sized pasta shapes (see details below).
• Sugar: I only used a small amount just to intensify the strawberry flavour, but you can adjust the amount according to preference. If your strawberries are not very sweet add a little more sugar but remember that typically this is not dessert and shouldn’t be overly sweet. You can use granulated sugar, instead (1-1.5 tablespoons or to taste).
• Sour cream: I used sour cream (a traditional ingredient), but you can use thick yogurt (for example Greek) instead. Don’t add too much of either ingredient as they can overpower the strawberry flavour.
• Vanilla extract: not used by everyone, but in my view, enhances the flavour.

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh

I don’t recommend it. Frozen then thawed strawberries don’t have the same quality of flavour as fresh and are better suited to use in recipes that involve cooking (such as fruit compote). For best results use fresh seasonal strawberries to make this strawberry and pasta recipe.

What type of pasta to use

You can use your favourite pasta shapes provided they are not too small (such as orzo) or very large and chewy (the star ingredient in this recipe are the strawberries, not the pasta). Medium sized pasta shapes work best (see photos).

Polish stores usually offer a good selection of pasta (some of which you won’t find in other grocery stores). If there is one in your area, it’s worth visiting to make sure you get the right pasta for this recipe.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare strawberries: Place 1 pound of strawberries in a mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons of sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Blend until semi smooth. Set aside.

2. Cook pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to the boil (using approx. ½ teaspoon of salt per 1.5 litres of water). Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions (be careful not to overcook it). Strain.

3. Assemble: Divide the pasta between 4 bowls, add the strawberry sauce and top with the remaining sour cream and strawberries (chopped). Serve immediately.

Serving suggestions

Polish pasta with strawberries can be served either cold or with warm pasta topped with just made (or chilled) strawberry sauce. Some people like to turn it into a more substantial meal by scattering crumbled Polish twaróg cheese (the type used to make pierogi ruskie) over the top.

As a child I also remember eating the strawberry sauce with bread and butter, rather than pasta (often as an afternoon snack or supper).

Alternative ways of making pasta with strawberries

One includes combining the sour cream with the sugar and vanilla extract then stirring into the pasta and topping with chopped strawberries.

Another is to puree the strawberries along with the sugar and vanilla extract until smooth, put the mixture through a sieve then combine with the pasta and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Top tips

• For best results use fresh strawberries.
• Medium sized, rather than large or very small, pasta shapes work best.
• I recommend making the strawberry sauce before you boil the pasta so that you are ready to serve this dish while the pasta is still hot.
• For me this dish tastes best served immediately. If, however, you have leftovers place the sauce and pasta in separate containers then cover and refrigerate them overnight. Heat the pasta in the microwave before serving the following day.
• This creamy strawberry pasta is not suitable for freezing.

Related recipes to try next

• Fruit Soup
• Polish Cheese Crepes
• Polish Rice with Apples

See also these other authentic Polish recipes which include a collection of the most popular ones!

Recipe

Keep in touch

Do you have your own favourite way of serving pasta with strawberries? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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