Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)

Pastelon – This Latin-style (Puerto Rican) plantain lasagna combines sweet and savory flavors with spiced beef sandwiched between layers of plantains and topped with cheese and eggs. It’s an absolutely incredible meal for special days or even just a regular weeknight dinner. 😉

Are you still on the fence about plantains? I get it. If you aren’t from a culture that incorporates them in the local cuisine, you might not know what to do with these “extra-large bananas.” The good news is that they’re easy to come by, delicious, versatile, and super easy to cook with, so you can find a ton of plantain recipes here on Immaculate Bites.

Today’s recipe, pastelón, a.k.a. plantain lasagna, will make you hop right over the fence and join Team Plantain. 😜 And if you are already a plantain fan, then here is one more recipe to add to your plantain cooking arsenal. Seriously, you can do so much with plantains, am I right?

Piñon vs. Pastelon

More than once, people have told me that this recipe is actually called piñon instead of pastelón. So I did a bit of research on the matter. As with most dishes, I found that there’s more than one way to prepare pastelon. In fact, even different regions of the same country often have different preparations or names for similar dishes.

That said, the main difference I found is that although both piñon and pastelón are popular Puerto Rican dishes that layer plantains, the plantains in piñon are typically mashed before they’re layered out. Another thing is that piñon also has canned green beans and kidney beans mixed into the beef filling. No matter what you call this dish, we can all agree that it’s truly an indulgent, wholesome recipe!

Recipe Ingredients

1. Ripe Plantains – You don’t want green plantains because the sweetness from ripe ones makes for a fabulicious balance of sweet and savory flavors.
2. Spices – Cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, thyme, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper (if you like a little kick) make this dish super flavorful.
3. Ground Beef or Chicken – It’s your call because either meat makes for a fantastic pastelon.
4. Black Beans – because this isn’t your average Italian mama’s lasagna. Trust me; the beans really add something special here.
5. Olives – An ingredient often found in Puerto Rican cuisine, olives add another layer of flavor to this recipe.
6. Eggs – This element binds the pastelon together.

How to Make Pastelon

Prepare the Plantains

1. Peel – Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantain. That will make them easier to peel. Then slit a shallow line down the peel of the plantain from top to bottom and remove the peel by pulling it back. (Photo 1)
2. Slice the plantains into long strips. You can usually get 4-5 pieces per plantain, depending on its size.
3. Cook – From here, you can either fry or bake the plantains. (Personally, I prefer frying. 😋) (Photo 3)

Frying Plantains

4. Heat the Oil – Heat a large skillet or cast iron with oil about ½ inch deep on medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking.
5. Fry the plantain in batches, turning once, until lightly brown for about 5 minutes.
6. Drain – Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried plantains and drain them on paper towels.

Baking Plantains

7. Oil the Pan – Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking oil (preferably canola oil) and arrange the plantains in a single layer.
8. Lightly Oil Plantains – Once arranged, spray the side of the plantains facing up with canola oil lightly.
9. Bake at 400℉/205℃, turning over the slices after 8 minutes.
10. Brown – Bake for about 12-20 minutes or until they turn light brown.

Make the Filling

1. Heat Oil – Add about 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet on medium-high heat.
2. Saute Seasonings – Add the onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, and coriander, then sauté for about a minute.
3. Add Veggies – Then add the bell pepper and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
4. Cook Meat – Add the ground meat and beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes while stirring frequently. Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon, and black pepper.
5. Final Stretch – Finally, add olives, green onions, and parsley, adjusting the seasonings to taste.
6. Set Aside – Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside.

Assemble the Plantain Lasagna

1. Start First Layer – Line the bottom of the baking pan with the fried or baked plantains. Make sure there is no space between the plantains.
2. Add Second Layer – On top of the plantains, add a decent amount of the beef mixture to make a layer, just like you would prepare lasagna.
3. Repeat = Alternate rows of plantains and meat until both are used up. Add optional cheese in between each layer, if desired.
4. Final Touch – When you’ve finished layering, whisk the eggs in a large bowl and pour them over the top of the pastelon. Make sure you cover the entire thing.
5. Optional Topping – Add cheese on top if desired or leave it out – it’s up to you.
6. Bake at 350℉/177℃ for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg has cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.
7. Cool – Let the pastelon cool for 5 minutes, and then serve warm.

Serving and Storage Instructions

FAQs

What to Serve With Pastelon

Pastelon is super good all by its lonesome, but I definitely like to pair it with a tropical drink. Try serving it with sorrel drink, mango juice, or Jamaican carrot juice. However, Southern sweet tea is a non-traditional drink that is quite refreshing with this dish.

Sometimes, I like to get a little fusion with this recipe and serve it up with bread from another culture. East African chapati or even just a basic flatbread tastes fabulous with it.

More Puerto Rican Recipes to Try

• Pionono
• Arroz con Gandules
• Picadillo
• Pernil (Roast Pork)
• Mofongo
• Pasteles

Conclusion

Don’t let that long list of ingredients or steps scare you; this recipe is not at all hard to make. And believe you me, the resulting flavors are so worth the effort! Don’t forget to rate this recipe once you’ve tried it. I know it’s going to be a new family favorite. 🤩

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

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Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)

This Latin-style (Puerto Rican) plantain lasagna combines sweet and savory flavors made with spiced beef sandwiched between layers of plantains and topped with cheese and eggs. It's an absolutely incredible meal for special days or even just a regular weeknight dinner. 😉

5 from 5 votes

Prep: 40 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Puerto Rican

Servings 6 -8

Ingredients

• ▢ 3-4 large ripe plantains
• ▢ 1 medium onion, chopped
• ▢ 3 teaspoons (15 g) garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (2 g) cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ -1 teaspoon (1-2 g) cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano or thyme
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground coriander
• ▢ 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
• ▢ 2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 pound (453 g) ground beef or chicken
• ▢ 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
• ▢ 1 packet sazón (or 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup olives, sliced
• ▢ 2-3 green onion, chopped
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• ▢ 2 cups (470 g) shredded cheese
• ▢ 2-3 large eggs

Instructions

• Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back. Slice the plantains horizontally into 4-5 pieces depending on plantains. You may either fry or bake the plantains. I prefer frying.

Frying Method

• Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Fry the plantain in batches, turning once, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan (it will make the plantains to be soggy and absorb excess oil).
• Use a slotted spoon, transfer the fried plantains and drain on paper towels.

Baking Method

• Spray a baking sheet and place plantains on them in a single layer; spray lightly over the plantains using the canola oil spray and bake at 400 degrees F, turning over slices, after 8 minutes for about 12- 20 minutes or till plantains turn slightly brown.

Making the Filling

• Next add about 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet followed by onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, coriander and sweat for about a minute.
• Then add bell pepper, tomatoes or tomato sauce, bring to a simmer. Add ground meat, beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes, while stirring frequently to prevent burning burn. Add about 3 tablespoons of broth or water as needed. Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon and black pepper.
• Finally add olives , green onions and parsley, adjust for seasoning. Remove and set aside

Assembling

• Spray a deep 8×8 pan with cooking spray or rub with butter/oil.
• Line the bottom of the baking pan with the fried plantain. Make sure there is no space between the plantains.
• Add enough of the beef mixture to make a layer, just like you would prepare lasagna. Alternate rows of plantains and meat until both are used up. Add cheese in between, if desired.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and pour over the Pastelon. Making sure to cover the entire thing.
• Add cheese if desired, or only use cheese
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until all the egg has cooked through and the cheese are bubbly.
• Let it cool then serve warm

Tips & Notes:

1. If you choose to fry your plantains, don’t overcrowd the pan. This will cool the oil too much and result in soggy plantains because they’ll absorb too much oil before they cook.
2. I like to use moderately ripe plantains for this recipe. They don’t fall apart or soak up tons of oil, making them just right for layering.
3. To keep your filling from burning while you cook it, add a small amount of broth or water as needed.
4. If you want some heat in this recipe, just add more cayenne pepper to taste. You know I always like the option to make things spicy!
5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 200g| Calories: 451kcal (23%)| Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)| Protein: 33g (66%)| Fat: 15g (23%)| Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)| Cholesterol: 109mg (36%)| Sodium: 613mg (27%)| Potassium: 1189mg (34%)| Fiber: 9g (38%)| Sugar: 16g (18%)| Vitamin A: 2055IU (41%)| Vitamin C: 43.8mg (53%)| Calcium: 258mg (26%)| Iron: 5.1mg (28%)

Author: Imma

Course: Main

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Diet: Gluten Free

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