Devil's Nightmare Pasta Sauce

With over 300 recipes in just over a year of food blogging, some readers might get the impression that all my time is spent in the kitchen. Well, there are days when it seems like that to me, and when those days come around, there's no simpler remedy than that time-honoured friend of busy cooks, students and lazy people alike — pasta and sauce!

Even on the laziest days, though, I can't bring myself to emptying sauce out of a store-bought jar. And there's no need really, since there are plenty of pasta sauces that take no more time to prepare and make than it takes to bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. That just happens to be enough time to do something really creative and unusual as well, to take the example of this striking banana and fruit juice based "devil's nightmare pasta sauce" — fire up the water to boil, and the sauce is ready from start to finish by the time the pasta is done.

As fond as I am of fiery foods, I cut the number of habaneros down from what was suggested in the original recipe in Clifford Wright's Some Like It Hot cookbook. And it was a good thing I did, since it was still "a hell of a hot meal," as Wright describes it. In fairness, I was forewarned to reduce the heat after the first thing I tried out of the book was so excruciatingly and painfully hot that I threw out the food, the recipe, and any notion of blogging about it. Live and learn. For those of you with less tolerance to heat than myself, I'd suggest using only one habanero, or substituting them with jalapeños instead.

I always think of Ruth and her Presto Pasta Nights when I make pasta. Accordingly, I am submitting this for next Friday's roundup of pasta dishes.

Devil's nightmare pasta sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 habanero chilies, seeded and minced
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Heat a large frying pan or wok over just less than medium heat. When hot, pour in the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl around the pan. Toss in the onion and red pepper and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, or until the pepper is soft and tinged with orange. Stir in the chilies and cook for another minute. Add the bananas with the orange juice and pineapple juice and cook, stirring gently, for 5 minutes or until the bananas are soft.

Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice, cilantro and parmesan. Serve hot over your favourite pasta.

Makes about 2 cups of sauce, or enough for about one pound of pasta.