I have to admit, I’m worried that none of you are going to try this recipe, which is a shame, because it’s really spectacular! Spectacularly good, that is, just so we’re clear.
Even Oatmeal was skeptical when I first mentioned my plan. She was all, like, “Banana’s in a pasta sauce? With mustard and beer? That’ll never work!” Now, if you tell Oatmeal this, I’ll deny it, but I was pretty nervous about it too! I had already grouped the three ingredients together and smelled their combined scent, and was happily surprised to find their perfume pleasant. But even I balked at the thought of mixing bananas and mustard!
However, once Oatmeal starts questioning me, it makes me want to prove her wrong even more, so I decided to go ahead with it. And it totally worked! This sauce is fantastic! It’s sweet, tangy, and flavorful! It’s something that deserves to be tasted at least once, if not many times!
Mustard Banana Chicken Pasta + Beer
- Olive Oil, to coat the skillet
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 chicken patties (or 3/4 lb other meat), chopped
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- Slightly less than ½ cup Dijon Mustard
- ½ cup Beer (light ale)
- Salt
- 1 lb pasta (I use farro pasta, but you can use whatever you have on hand)
Combine the mashed bananas and the mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
Start boiling a pot of water for the pasta, and add a small handful of salt to the water.
Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and sautée it until the onion becomes transparent. Add the meat and sautée for another 3-5 minutes. Add the banana-mustard mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Stir while cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Add the beer (I tend to use a light, Belgian Ale. Anything darker tends to add flavor, making it more unpredictable in recipes), and reduce heat to medium. Let it cook without stirring for 5-10 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off.
While the sauce is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water. Pasta is always best al dente, which means that it should be firm, but not crunchy, and certainly not soft! Usually, I start tasting the pasta two minutes before the box says it should be done. My box says seven minutes, so I start checking after five.
Once the five-ten minutes are up, stir the sauce and remove from heat. Strain the pasta and combine it with the sauce, and it’s ready to be served!
The dish should be tangy, flavorful, and sweet! The mustard is powerful, the banana is slightly noticeable, and the beer hides in the background. Not to mention all those lovely morsels of chicken packed in every bite. Enjoy!