Baked Pineapple with Strawberry Sauce

1 pound frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
3 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed or no)
2 t. corn starch
1 t. vanilla
3.5 to 4-pound pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices to yield about 1 pound of fruit

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat; cover partially. Cook until the berries thaw, then uncover and cook until the berries are soft, allowing the mixture to maintain a low boil. In all, the process will take about 25 minutes.

Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add to the saucepan, stirring until the mixture comes back to a low boil. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooling, line one or two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. Lay the pineapple slices on the prepared sheets(s) in a single layer, then roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until any excess liquid has evaporated and the slices look dry (they should not be brown).

Use a large spoon to mash the cooled berries against the sides of their saucepan to form a slightly chunky sauce. Add the vanilla extract.

Divide the pineapple slices among individual plates. Spoon about three tablespoons of the sauce down the center of the slices and serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

Notes: I doubled the sauce and used two cans of sliced pineapple (yielding about 20 slices). They took longer to bake because there's more liquid, but it still turned out great. Also, you can do the sauce in advance and then rewarm on the stove while the pineapple slices are baking. I have a lot of sauce leftover, however, so wonder if I had to double it. But now I have a jam-like fruit sauce that I can feed the baby.