5:30 Challenge -- Strawberry Pasta

Strawberry Pasta

To make the meal

Tossed salad

When my friend Molly McCollom told me this was her favorite quick, five-ingredient-or-fewer dinner, I have to admit, I had my reservations. Strawberry sauce for pasta? Really?

Then I thought about it. Botanically, both strawberries and tomatoes are berries. Flavorwise, they both have tart and sweet elements. Why wouldn’t it work? McCollom assured me it was delicious, and a quick scan of the Internet found lots of fans in complete agreement.

McCollom and her partner, Stacey Gaines, live in Stone Mountain. They generally favor a vegetarian diet and are always on the lookout for interesting ideas for dinner. McCollom found this recipe in the aphrodisiac cookbook “InterCourses” and thought she would give it a try. She liked it so much she makes it at least once a week during strawberry season. “Because the strawberries are fresh, we can taste the difference in the dish depending on where we are in strawberry season and how ripe the berries are. For the record, I’m not sure this is much of an aphrodisiac dish, just very easy to make and a great new comfort food,” she said.

Take the 5:30 Challenge. If you have a great-tasting main-dish recipe that uses no more than five ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes or less, tell us. (Salt, pepper, water and oil for greasing a pan don’t need to be included in the ingredient count.) You can also suggest a side dish if it can be made within the same time. Send recipes with your name, address and phone number to fivethirty@ajc.com.

Strawberry Pasta

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

McCollom also likes this made with spaghetti instead of fettuccini, and she frequently garnishes with thinly sliced fresh mint. Below is the full-fat version from the cookbook. McCollom frequently cuts the fat in the recipe by reducing the butter by half and substituting half-and-half for the cream.

1/2 pound fettuccini

1 pint fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese, more if desired

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in the jar of a blender, puree strawberries. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat butter and cream until butter melts. Keep warm.

When pasta is done, toss with cheese and butter mixture. Pour pureed strawberries over pasta. Serve with additional cheese if desired.

Adapted from a recipe in "InterCourses" by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge (Terrace Publishing, $24.95)

Per serving: 477 calories (percent of calories from fat, 35), 13 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 19 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 53 milligrams cholesterol, 139 milligrams sodium.