Strawberries are one of most people’s favorite foods. From pies to ice creams to eating them fresh with some whipped cream, there’s no wrong way to enjoy these sweet berries. In Poland there is a long tradition of eating your strawberries with pasta and this Pasta with Strawberries is called Makaron z Truskawkami. This is a nostalgic dish for many Polish folks and is guaranteed to bring a feeling of summer to any table.

It might sound unusual if you’ve never had it before, but it really works together! And, it makes an ideal lunch or light dinner for warm weather.

What Does It Taste Like?

While you’re mixing it up this smells like a strawberry milkshake, but the end result isn’t all that sweet. The pasta is the foundation of course, but the addition of sour cream in this dish creates a lightly tart flavor. And, since so many pasta dishes have a cream sauce this feels right for a meal like this. It’s almost like an unbaked kugel but with tons of strawberries. Delish!

The thing that really makes this special for me is the farmer’s cheese on top. This type of cheese is soft and has a flavor almost like a milder cottage cheese. However, the small curds and mild flavor make it the perfect complement to this sweet pasta. The cheese grounds the dish, but also adds protein which is much needed in a dish that’s mostly fruit and pasta.

The other thing the cheese adds, in addition to creaminess, is a bit of salt. While this is a lightly sweet dish, it still benefits from a bit of salt. It’s just like adding some salt to your chocolate chip cookies, it just wouldn’t be the same without that little hit of salt.

How to Make It

As for the sweetness you can make it as sweet as you want. 2-3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup does the trick here and I like mine with only 2 tablespoons. It depends on how sweet your strawberries are so my advice is to add 2 and mix it up and only add the third if you feel it needs it.

The traditional cheese for this dish is called twaróg in Polish or quark in German. The closest thing we have in the US is called farmer’s cheese and it’s sort of like if cottage cheese were drier, firmer, and less sour. If you cannot find farmer’s cheese in your grocery, you can substitute cottage cheese or another mild, soft cheese instead.

A few fresh mint leaves on top adds a little extra flavor to this dish, but it’s not required. And on another note this dish is best enjoyed right after you make it. Cut strawberries begin to break down very quickly even when refrigerated. I do not recommend making this ahead or keeping leftovers in the fridge. You really want to enjoy this straight after making it!

In the end the combination of flavors isn’t too sweet nor too savory. It’s a just-right sort of dish for an uncomplicated meal. And, in hot weather this recipe is a life saver since you only need to turn on one burner for the pasta. This light meal won’t heat the kitchen too much, another reason why this Strawberry Pasta is a favorite in Poland.