Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)
This Puerto-Rican-style pastelón is a delicious plantain lasagna combining sweet and savory flavors. Spicy beef sandwiched between layers of plantains and topped with cheese and eggs is incredibly tasty and naturally gluten-free. An excellent meal for special days or even just a regular weeknight dinner.
Are you still on the fence about plantains? I get it. If your culture doesn’t incorporate them, 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 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!
How to Make Pastelon
- Peel and slice the plantains into long strips. You can get 4-5 pieces per plantain, depending on its size. (Photos 1-2)
- To fry: From here, you can either fry or bake the plantains until lightly golden. Fry in about ½ inch of oil in batches, turning once, until lightly browned for about 5 minutes. Drain cooked plantains on a paper towel. (Photos 3-4)
- To bake: Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking oil (preferably canola) and arrange the plantains in a single layer. Lightly spray the side of the plantains facing up. Bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 12-20 minutes, turning the slices over after 8 minutes.
- Sauté the onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, and coriander for about a minute. Add the bell pepper and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. (Photos 4-5)
- Add the ground meat and beans and cook for about 7-10 minutes while stirring frequently. (Photo 6)
- Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon, and black pepper. Add the olives, green onions, and parsley, adjusting the seasonings to taste. Set the filling aside. (Photos 7-8)
- Layer the bottom of the baking pan with the plantain slices. Spread a decent amount of the beef mixture over the plantains just like you would prepare lasagna. (Photos 9-10)
- Repeat, alternating rows of plantains and meat until both are used up. Add grated cheese between each layer if desired. (Photo 11)
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and pour them over the top of the pastelon, covering the entire casserole. Top with grated cheese if desired. (Photo 12)
- Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg has cooked through and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool the pastelon for 5 minutes, and serve hot.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- This recipe is remarkably flexible, and you can tweak the ingredients however you like. For example, leave out the cheese for a paleo-friendly version. And simply omit the meat for a vegetarian version.
- Some pastelon recipe call for raisins. Feel free to add them if you are a raisin lover.
- Moderately ripe plantains don’t fall apart or soak up tons of oil, making them just right for layering.
- Add a little cayenne pepper to taste for a bit of spice!
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Lasagna-style recipes usually taste better the next day. So you can assemble everything the day before, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes and bake.
Store any leftover pastelon in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will keep for 3-5 days. You can also freeze pastelon in an airtight container for 4-5 months.
What to Serve With Pastelon
Pastelon is super good all by itself, but I definitely like to pair it with a tropical drink, like coquito. A little fusion with this recipe with East African chapati or a basic flatbread tastes fabulous with it.
More Flavorful Puerto Rican Recipes
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”hlR7CN3D” upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:48:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Plantain Lasagna” description=”Plantains Lasagna aka Pastelon – a Latin-Style (Puerto Rican) lasagna that is a combination of sweet and savory, with spiced beef, sandwiched in layers of plantains, and topped with cheese and or eggs. Have I picked your interest yet?”]
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This blog post was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Pastelon (Plantain Lasagna)
Ingredients
- 3-4 large ripe plantains
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 teaspoons (15g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (2g) cumin
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- ½ -1 teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon (1g) dried oregano or thyme
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) ground coriander
- 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef or ground chicken
- 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) water
- ½ teaspoon (2.5g) salt
- 1 packet Sazón (or 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon)
- ½ teaspoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (30g) sliced olives
- 2-3 green onion, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) parsley, chopped
- 2 cups (470g) shredded cheese
- 2-3 large eggs
Instructions
The Layers
- Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantain for easier peeling. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain, cutting only as deep as the peel. Remove the peel. Slice the plantains horizontally into 4-5 pieces, depending on the plantains. You can either fry or bake the plantains.
- To fry: Heat a large cast-iron skillet with ½ inch of oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry the plantain in batches, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Avoid overcrowding the pan (the plantains will absorb excess oil and become soggy).
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried plantains and drain them on paper towels.
- To bake: Spray a baking sheet with oil and place plantain slices on it in a single layer. Spray plantains lightly with canola oil and bake at 400℉ (205℃) until slightly browned (12- 20 minutes), turning the slices over after 8 minutes.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, and saute the onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, and coriander for about a minute.
- Then add the bell pepper and tomatoes or tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the ground meat and beans, and cook for 7-10 minutes, while stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add broth or water as needed. Season with salt, chicken bouillon, or sazon and black pepper.
- Finally, add olives, green onions, and parsley, and adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Assembly
- Spray a deep 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray or rub with butter or oil.
- Line the bottom of the baking pan with the plantain slices, making sure there are no spaces between the plantains.
- Spread enough of the beef mixture over the plantains to make a layer, just like you would for 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 them the pastelon, covering the entire casserole. Top with grated cheese if desired.
- Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 25-30 minutes, or until the eggs have cooked through and the filling is bubbly. Let it cool for a few minutes and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Add a small amount of broth or water as needed while cooking the filling to avoid burning.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
