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BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

Plantain Lasagna (Pastelón)(Dairy Free)

April 27, 2020 by Charla 21 Comments

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Pastelon Puerto Rican sweet plantain lasagna that paleo, gluten free and dairy free
Pastelon Puerto Rican sweet plantain lasagna that paleo, gluten free and dairy free

Love Latin American food? Well try this amazing Puerto Rican style lasagna consisting of seasoned ground beef that is neatly sandwiched between thin layers of plantain strips and topped with dairy free cheese making it lactose friendly.

lasagna with fork resting on the right

Pastelon Puerto Rican sweet plantain lasagna that paleo, gluten free and dairy free

I'm so pleased to finally introduce you all to this recipe called Pastelón aka Plantain Lasagna.

This latino dish makes the perfect weeknight dinner recipe, it's flavoursome, tasty, freezer friendly and even great to prepare for a dinner party.

If you enjoy Caribbean cuisines and sweet plantains with ground beef, then I promise this lasagna is what you are looking for.

I made this recipe over a course of several months, fine tuning it until it came out perfect.

There's nothing but thin strips of sweet plantain, lightly fried until golden brown with each layer topped with seasoned ground beef and a lactose/dairy free cheesy topping.

I love this plantain lasagna so much that there isn't a week that goes by now that I don't eat it.

lasagna and fork

The difference between pastelón and piñon

Many people claim that pastelón and piñon are not the same thing.

Piñon has a layer of canned green beans with mashed plantain and hails from the south/west region of Puerto Rico.

On the other hand, pastelón doesn't and hails from the south/eastern region.

As with most cultural cuisines each region has their own terminology and way of preparing things.

Ingredients you will need

  • Ground beef: I use low fat lean beef which has fat residue but you can use whichever works for you!
  • Plantain: You will need a minimum of 4 depending on the size of your roasting dish. They should be ripe (some dark spots, not overripe)
  • Sofrito: The onion, garlic, green bell pepper act as the foundation to the recipe, very important!
  • Olives/Capers: This is optional but typically included
  • Cilantro (Coriander): Used as seasoning
  • Tomato sauce: You can use pureed sauce i.e passata!
  • Dairy free cheese: My favourite brands are Sheese, Miyoko and Daiya!!
  • Eggs: This used as egg wash
  • Sazon seasoning and adobo seasoning: What you need to season the ground beef and is crucial for latino cooking as used in both my Mofongo and empanadas recipe.

How to make plantain lasagna

steps 1-2 applying the dry rub and sauteing

  • Place the ground beef in the bowl and season with sazon and adobo then set aside.
  • Sautee the sofrito - onion, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro until soft and translucent.

searing the meat

  • Add the ground beef to the skillet with the sofrito then brown the meat.

Adding the capers and slicing the plantain

  • Add the tomato paste and olives/capers to the skillet and stir.
  • Meanwhile prepare the plantain by cutting off the ends of each one.

slicing the plantain

  • Slice the skin off the plantain lengthways then slice the plantain (you should get 4 strips per plantain)
  • Then fry both sides until golden brown

building the lasagna

  • Layer the bottom of the roasting dish with the plantain strips then brush on the egg mixture.
  • Spoon the ground beef  and spread evenly on top of the plantain layers.

adding the egg wash

  • Sprinkle the cheese on top of the ground beef , repeat the step until the beef and plantain is layered 2-3 times
  • The final layer should be strips of plantain drizzled with egg wash and sprinkled with cheese prior to baking.

Can I use green plantains to make this recipe?

Although the lasagna is typically made with yellow plantain, there is no reason why you cannot make a savoury version of this dish

How ripe should the plantains be?

You need them to be somewhere in between. In terms of appearance, you want your plantain to be yellow with some dark spots.

You don't want the plantain to be green/light yellow as this a more young plantain which is more firm and the texture will be dry when cooked.

Plantain that is too soft (overripe with black skin) will absorb most of the oil and won't hold up very well.

Where can you purchase plantain?

If you live in a city/country with a high percent of African/Caribbeans or Latinos. You will need to head to a market place/supermarket that cater to this demographic. There's a very high chance of obtaining what you need.

Can you make the recipe using bananas instead?

No. Plantain and bananas aren't the same although from the same family. The plantain lasagna wouldn't workout very well!

Notes and tips

  •  Switch up the ground meat. If you don't want to use ground beef, feel free to use turkey if you wish. This won't impact too much on the overall result.
  • For best results use a lean meat like 5% or 7% ground beef. It's less fat and not excessive.
  • Be generous with the seasoning. Latinos are very particular with using their own seasoning - sazon and adobo which is what is featured in this recipe. I used my homemade version as listed. A heaping tablespoon of sazon against 2 heaping teaspoons of adobo so both spice blends compliment each other.
  • Dry rub application. There is no need to leave the dry rub to infuse overnight, the ground beef can be seasoned and used immediately.
  • Make sure to sear the beef. The beef should take a few minutes to brown, just keep stirring and rotating the pan so it cooks evenly.
  • The amount of plantain needed. I used a total of 4 large plantains with the ends being snipped off then score the plantain length ways to remove the skin. Slice the plantain length ways and each slice should be 1" in thickness.
  • Building the lasagna. start by arranging the plantain at the bottom of the dish, lay them side by side in unison. It's okay if they are uneven as the beef and cheese will cover it.
  • Size of the roasting dish. For best results use a rectangular dish roughly 19 x 12 cm dimensions.

Close up of the lasagna

Pastelon Puerto Rican sweet plantain lasagna that paleo, gluten free and dairy free

Other latino recipes you may like

  • Slow Cooker Black Beans
  • Sopa de Plátano Verde
  • Stuffed Plantains
  • Cuban Black Beans
  • Cuban Picadillo 
  • Chicheme 
  • Yuca Con Mojo
  • Dominican Mangu
  • Moros y Cristianos

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

lasagna on a plate with a fork

Plantain Lasagna (Pastelon)

Bring a taste of Puerto Rico to your dining table with this delicious Pastelon dish
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 787kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 4 large plantains ripen
  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 2 teaspoon of adobo seasoning heaping
  • 1 tablespoon of sazon heaping (see post for recipe)
  • 1 onion minced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 green bell pepper minced
  • ¼ cup of fresh cilantro coriander, chopped
  • ⅓ cup of olives/capers
  • 1 cup of tomato sauce
  • 2 cups of dairy free cheese
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • Coconut oil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven 356f/180C/gas mark 4.
  • Grease or lightly spray a casserole dish and set aside
  • In a large bowl, add the ground beef and season with the sazon and adobo and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet on medium heat then proceed to saute the onion, garlic, and minced bell pepper - this is the sofrito!! along with the cilantro until soft and translucent.
  • Once softened add the ground beef, stir and sear the meat. This should take a few minutes to brown, just keep folding and stirring the meat.
  • Add the tomato and olives/capers, stir then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  • Prepare the plantain by cutting the ends of each one, then scoring lengthways across each plantain (becareful, not to slice too deep, just deep each to remove the skin). Take off the skin and cut the plantain in lengthways strips about 1" for each one. You should get 4 slices per plantain.
  • Melt some coconut oil on medium heat, just enough to lightly fry the plantain strips. Work in batches of needed and fry both sides until golden brown.
  • Blot off any excess oil before covering the bottom of the roasting dish with strips of plantain. Grab the egg mixture and brush it over the first layer.
  • Then spoon the ground beef about 1'' thickness and spread evenly across and then sprinkle some of the cheese onto
  • Repeat this step of layer the plantain, brush the on egg wash, spooning and spreading out beef and sprinkling the cheese again until you have 2-3 layers.
  • The final layer should be a layer of plantain then brushing the remaining part of egg wash before topping off with the cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown
  • Serve accordingly.

Notes

  • Switch up the ground meat. If you don't want to use ground beef, feel free to use turkey if you wish. This won't impact too much on the overall result.
  • For best results use a lean meat like 5% or 7% ground beef. It's less fat and not excessive.
  • Be generous with the seasoning. Latinos are very particular with using their own seasoning - sazon and adobo which is what is featured in this recipe. I used my homemade version as listed. A heaping tablespoon of sazon against 2 heaping teaspoons of adobo so both spice blends compliment each other.
  • Dry rub application. There is no need to leave the dry rub to infuse overnight, the ground beef can be seasoned and used immediately.
  • Make sure to sear the beef. The beef should take a few minutes to brown, just keep stirring and rotating the pan so it cooks evenly.
  • The amount of plantain needed. I used a total of 4 large plantains with the ends being snipped off then score the plantain length ways to remove the skin. Slice the plantain length ways and each slice should be 1" in thickness.
  • Building the lasagna. start by arranging the plantain at the bottom of the dish, lay them side by side in unison. It's okay if they are uneven as the beef and cheese will cover it.
  • Size of the roasting dish. For best results use a rectangular dish roughly 19 x 12 cm dimensions.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 787kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 1598mg | Potassium: 1567mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 2658IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

More Caribbean Dishes

  • Jamaican Boiled Dumplings (Gluten Free)
  • Caribbean peanut punch
    Caribbean Peanut Punch
  • A single bowl of conch salad
    Bahamian Conch Salad Recipe
  • A bowl of different chopped fruit
    Tropical Fruit Salad

About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

Comments

  1. Jesse-Gabriel says

    June 29, 2023 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    Ich werde eine vegane Lasagne für eine Freundin zubereiten.
    Danke für das tolle Rezept!
    Grüße,
    Jesse-Gabriel

    Reply
  2. Katelyn says

    April 07, 2021 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    We were supposed to be on a 3 week holiday this month, but due to C*V*D we are stuck at home. So I decided we would take a food vacation instead. I am so glad we decided to visit Puerto Rico, this dish was amazing. I made the sazon as I can’t do MSG, thank you for providing it. This was my first time using plantains and they were so easy to work with. We are already thinking about what the meat mixture can be used in...empanadas maybe.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      April 07, 2021 at 9:11 pm

      Hi Katelyn, thank you for your wonderful feedback. At least your yourself and co were able to bring a piece of Puerto Rico to your dinning table instead. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and made the sazon too, bonus! Empanadas (don't have a recipe yet) or Cuban Picadillo can be used for leftover meat mixture, assuming there is enough.

      Reply
  3. Dip says

    January 31, 2021 at 4:05 am

    THIS TOOK ME 3 HOURS TO MAKE LOL. HOW CAN IT POSSIBLY BE DONE IN 1H I HAVE NO IDEA.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      January 31, 2021 at 7:59 am

      Hmmm Ok that's interesting to know. I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.

      Reply
      • Dip says

        January 31, 2021 at 5:13 pm

        It was delicious, but next time I might skip making it into a lasagna and just fry plantains and eat the beef mixture with rice.

        Reply
        • Charla says

          January 31, 2021 at 5:23 pm

          I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's okay to adjust to suit your needs, that actually sounds really good!

          Reply
  4. Lyn says

    July 22, 2020 at 2:57 am

    5 stars
    When I first saw this dish, I thought it was rather interesting - Plantains /Lasagna? Well I made it without cilantro and eggs and oh my heavens, it tastes so good. I have already recommended it to my sister and I will definitely make it again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      July 22, 2020 at 11:48 am

      Thank you for your feedback Lyn

      Reply
  5. Arielle says

    November 20, 2019 at 2:05 am

    Hi! I am curious if this recipe could be made without the egg wash? Or what you might use as a replacement? I dont eat eggs.

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      November 20, 2019 at 7:40 pm

      Hello Arielle. A lot of vegans and/or people who are allergic eggs to/or don't eat them use flax eggs (ground flaxseeds mixed with water). It's a great egg replacement and I think it will work for the pastelon recipe. here is the recipe link https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/flax-eggs-recipe/

      Reply
  6. Colleen says

    September 16, 2019 at 11:24 pm

    5 stars
    I've never heard of Pastelon before, but it the flavor combo sounds really delicious and it looks amazing. I am definately down to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 17, 2019 at 9:38 am

      Thank you Colleen. It's definitely worth a try for sure.

      Reply
  7. Sara says

    September 16, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good. I'd only had fried plantains before this and it really opened my eyes. I can't wait to try plantains in more recipes!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 16, 2019 at 11:03 pm

      Another plantain lover, this is great. Thanks Sara.

      Reply
  8. Sara Welch says

    September 16, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    What a savory recipe; made this for dinner last night and it has become a new family favorite recipe!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 16, 2019 at 10:56 pm

      Yay! So glad you are a fan of Pastelon too Sara.

      Reply
  9. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    September 16, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    5 stars
    I've never heard of Pastelon before, but I have to say, I need to make this... I LOVE plaintains and this just sounds like the ultimate comfort food!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 16, 2019 at 10:57 pm

      Thanks Lisa, you are missing out BIG time. I hope you manage to make the recipe at some point.

      Reply
  10. Denisse Salinas says

    September 16, 2019 at 9:38 pm

    5 stars
    I love the smell of fried plantains in the morning and I cannot even begin to imagine how delicious this pastelon must smell when baking in the oven! SO GOOD!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 16, 2019 at 9:40 pm

      Thank you Denisse

      Reply
5 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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