Pastelon – a Latin-Style (Puerto Rican) plantain lasagna that is a combination of sweet and savory flavors, made with spiced beef, sandwiched in layers of plantains, and topped with cheese and/or eggs. Absolutely incredible meal for regular or special days!

Are you still on the fence about plantains? Wait…are you trying to tell me you’ve never tried plantains before? Why not? They are all over the place these days, and they are readily available. And if you’ve checked my blog thoroughly, you can find a TON of plantain recipes (see HERE).

Today’s recipe – Pastelon or Plantain Lasagna –  will make you hop over the fence and join the team of this amazing starchy vegetable. And if you are fan already, then here is another recipe to widen your plantain taste buds.

Pinon vs Pastelon

There are instances when I have been called out by people telling me that this recipe here is called Pinon instead of Pastelon. And so I’ve done quite a research on this matter. To start off, let’s make it clear that there’s NOT a single way to prepare any dish. And even regions from the same country often have different preparations or names for similar dishes.

Although both pinon and pastelon are popular Puerto Rican layered plantains, the plantains in pinon are typically mashed before they’re layered out. Another thing is that pinon also has canned green beans and/or kidney beans mixed into the beef filling. But no matter how you call this dish, I bet we can all agree that it’s truly an indulgent wholesome recipe!

Pastelon Ingredients

I’m telling you now not to get discouraged with the long list of ingredients. Trust me, it’ll be WORTH IT! In fact, you’d be thankful that you followed this recipe to a “T” ’cause it will surely knock your socks off.

Below are just some of the ingredients that you probably need to buy at the grocery while the rest are mostly pantry staples.

• ripe plantains
• cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, thyme
• cayenne pepper
• ground beef or chicken
• black beans
• olives
• ground coriander
• shredded cheese (you can leave it out, if preferred)
• sazon or chicken bouillon

Actually, it leaves room for so many variants and can easily be made PALEO by leaving out the cheese.

There’s also a selection of protein that you can use – ground beef, chicken, beans OR a combination of all of those. They all get the job done!

Feel free to play around with the ingredients and choose which ones work best for you. I intentionally left out the raisins because I did not want the extra sweetness that comes with it. But if you want them, then by all means go ahead and add some raisins.

How Can You Tell If Plantains Are Bad?

Pick fairly ripe plantains, the darker the skin the sweeter the plantain. I usually go with moderately ripe plantains as they don’t fall apart or soak up tons of oil.

Plantains that are very soft to the touch (too mushy when you press it gently), start to ooze and with too many dark spots and molding, those are not good signs. If you detect those features, discard them immediately. Take note that plantains will become fully ripe in about 3-5 days at room temperature. However, if you happen to buy the green ones and want to hasten up the ripening process, just put the plantains in a brown paper bag, close it and leave it on the countertop.

Can I Make Pastelon In Advance?

Plantains are a bit tricky to work with, honestly. They are best enjoyed on the day they’re prepared, however, you can prepare a part of it in advance. What you can do is cook the beef filling in advance, let it cool down, transfer to a container and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then on the day of serving, fry the plantains, layer and bake.

It’s like no other lasagna you’ve ever tried before!

Enjoy!!!

More Puerto Rican Recipes

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

BROWSE more Puerto Rican recipes HERE.

How To Make Pastelon

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 tho.

Frying Plantains

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 Plantains

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, tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add ground meat, beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes, while stirring frequently to prevent burning burn add about 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 the Plantain Lasagna

Spray a deep 8×8 pan with cooking spray or rub with butter/oil. Line the bottom of the baking pan with the fried/baked plantains. 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.

Watch How to Make It

This post was first published in April 2015 and has been updated with additional write up and a video.

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Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)

Pastelon - is a Latin- Style (Puerto Rican) lasagna that is a combination of sweet and savory flavors, made with spiced beef, sandwiched in layers of plantains, and topped with cheese and/or eggs. Absolutely incredible meal for regular or special days!

4.85 from 13 votes

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 1 hr

Total: 1 hr 40 mins

Spanish

Servings 6 - 9 slices

Ingredients

• ▢ 3-4 large ripe plantains
• ▢ 1 medium onion , chopped
• ▢ 3 teaspoons (15 g) minced garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (2 g) cumin spice
• ▢ 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/green bell pepper , chopped
• ▢ 2 tomatoes chopped or 1 cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 pound (453.59 g) ground beef/chicken
• ▢ 1 16- ounce black beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 g) water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
• ▢ 1 packet sazon or 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup sliced olives
• ▢ 2 -3 green onion , chopped
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons parsley chopped
• ▢ 2 cup (226 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 8x8 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. I usually go with moderately ripe plantains. They don’t fall apart or soak up tons of oil. You can deep-fry, pan fry or bake them.
2. You can use – ground beef, chicken or beans or combine protein and beans.
3. Add cayenne pepper if you want some heat in it.
4. With or without cheese, this plantain lasagna still taste good.
5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 451kcal (23%)| Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)| Protein: 33g (66%)| Fat: 15g (23%)| Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)| Cholesterol: 130mg (43%)| Sodium: 913mg (40%)| 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: Spanish

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