Wash and hull all the strawberries. Halve most of them and set 1 cup aside to mash.

Lightly mash the reserved cup of strawberries with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small chunks are fine.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until combined and lump-free.

Stir in the cold water, salt, and the mashed strawberries. Add a single drop of red food coloring only if you want a brighter color.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 4 to 6 minutes until the mixture thickens and turns clear.

Remove from heat and let the glaze cool for roughly 10 minutes so it’s warm but not hot.

Arrange the halved strawberries in the baked pie crust in a single layer or slightly overlapping pattern.

Pour the cooled glaze evenly over the berries, ensuring each one gets coated.

Refrigerate the pie for 1 to 2 hours until the glaze is fully set and the pie is chilled.

Slice and serve cold, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.