So back to the strawberry pasta. Thanks to the addition of strawberries (which bring some fiber) and yogurt (which packs some protein, and potentially fat, depending on whether you’re a full-fat dairy fan or not), this would probably be a better choice post-workout than before, Shorenstein says.
“Pasta is a wonderful food for active people because it’s rich in carbs,” she explains. Yogurt is also a solid option for athletes because it has calcium, which can be beneficial for everything from bone health and muscle contraction, and contains probiotics, which can help support gut health. And strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, which supports immune function and collagen production—two body functions linked to better athletic performance.
That being said, a handful of minor adjustments could make it suitable for pre-workout dining, too, like halving the amount of yogurt and berries used or opting for a low-fat yogurt over a full-fat version. But you can also eat it as-is if you’ve budgeted two to three hours for digestion ahead of your workout, Shorenstein adds.
Now that I knew it would deliver on my exercise needs, it was time to find out if it was also as tasty as promised by Swiatek. There are a number of online iterations of this classic Polish dish, from those that make use of sour cream and sweeteners like honey, to others that add cheese to the mix, but I decided to make it as dictated by the tennis star herself (and as presented in one of her recent Instagram stories): with finely chopped strawberries, full-fat yogurt, and pasta shells. Her instructions in the original interview weren’t very specific, but she later elaborated that using more strawberries (the sweeter the better) than pasta and mashing the fruit beforehand will deliver better results.
For my purposes, I used a combo of her recommendations and guidance from online recipes for ingredient quantities. The whole thing came together in as long as the pasta took to cook. While it was simmering, I diced up a pint of strawberries, threw them in a large mixing bowl with one-half cup of yogurt, mixed the two together, then drained the pasta and let it cool for a minute or two before adding it to the sauce. I mixed to combine all of that to coat the pasta before filling up a plate. From there, you could let it sit in the fridge for a while to cool it down (à la macaroni salad) or eat it right away warm if you don’t have time to wait (that’s what I did)—that’s all up to you and your preferences.
The results? Although I was fully prepared to love this, thinking it would be reminiscent of pierogi with fruit jam on the side, I found it to be a little lackluster. It wasn’t bad but it felt like it was missing something—the savory aspects of the pasta and yogurt plus the sweeter side of the strawberries just weren’t melding together as much as I would have liked.
But I’m not done with this recipe. In the future, I’ll try one of the alternative versions with a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup, and maybe a sprinkling of shredded cheese for a salty edge (and extra protein!). I can definitely see it being the type of thing I’d be happy to have on hand after a long run, especially if it’s cold next time, ready to go, and already waiting for me in the fridge. And the best part? When I do finally find the perfect rendition, I’ll get to tell people that the recommendation came straight from a real-life tennis pro.
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