Sweet Plantain Lasagna

Pastelon in a cast iron skillet with a slice served on a green plate.

5 from 4 votes

Sweet Plantain Lasagna, also known as Pastelón, is a comforting casserole dish that combines the best of both worlds: the sweetness of ripe plantains and the rich flavors of a well-seasoned Puerto Rican picadillo. The result is a harmonious blend of sweet and savory that will transport you straight to the sunny shores of the Caribbean.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Resting time5

Total Time55

Course: Entree, puerto rican christmas, Puerto Rican Inspirations, summer recipes

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings: Servings

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Zoé Forestier

Equipment

1 cast iron skillet

Ingredients

For Picadillo

1 pound ground beef
½ Pound fresh chorizo remove casing
1 onion diced
1 tablespoon Garlic paste
1 tablespoon sofrito
12 manzanilla olives sliced or chopped

For pastelon

6 plantains Peeled, cut in half and slice lengthwise into 4 slices.
2 eggs beaten separately
2 tablespoon water to be added to the eggs (1/1)
½ pound Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon butter at room temp for greasing pan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees. Use 5 to 6 plantains for an 18-inch skillet or 3 to 4 for a smaller pan. Precook Puerto Rican Picadillo and pre-fry plantains before assembly.

For PIcadillo (make the night before or the same day and set aside while frying plantains)

Heat a saute pan, and start browning meats.
Add onion and cook until onions are translucent.
Add garlic paste, sofrito, and tomato paste. Let all ingredients incorporate well.
Season to taste. Cook for another 3 minutes and add olives. Set aside.

Assembling the pastelon

Grease the pan with butter.
Cover the bottom of the pan with the plantain slices. Use the larger pieces to cover the biggest areas. Take smaller pieces to break and fill any holes. We want to cover the bottom as much as possible. Once the bottom is covered, line the sides of the casserole. This is not a necessary step, but I like doing it. Again, cover as much as possible. Make an egg wash of one egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Season egg was lightly. Brush the bottom and sides with the egg wash. Pour remaining egg wash on the bottom.
Place a layer of cheese over the plantains.
Fill with meat filling.
Add another layer of cheese. Be as generous as you need. Too little cheese will not help bind the layers together.
Use remainder plantains to cover the pie. Fill any gaps on the top with smaller pieces.
Brush top plantain layer with egg wash. Pour any remaining egg wash over top of pastelon. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until internal temperature is 165℉. (165℉ is the safest temperature to reheat any food). Since elements of this dish are cooked at diferent times, the safest way to bring this dish back to temp is by cooking it to 165℉.

Notes

Selecting your plantains: Plantains can be found in three stages, green (verdes), mid-ripe (pintos), the stage when the plantains are neither green nor ripe, and ripe (maduros). Gauge the time available you have to make the recipe. If you are making the recipe today, try to find ripe plantains. If you are going to make it in 2-3 days, mid-ripe, and if you are going to make it on the weekend and it is the beginning of the week when you are shopping, buy green plantains.
165℉ is the safest temperature to reheat any food. Since elements of this dish may have been cooked at different times, the safest way to bring this dish back to temp is by cooking it to 165℉.
Prep for assembly: Pastelón is a relatively easy recipe but requires timing and preparation. Prepare the meat filling or picadillo in advance, maybe the day before, so on the day of the assembly, all you have to do is fry the plantains and put the dish together.
Adding color: When making picadillo, you could use Achiote Oil as n agent of color and flavor. Achiote has a smoky flavor and bright red color and brings an authentic Puerto Rican Flavor when added to any food.
To ripen plantains, place the green plantains in a paper bag. They will ripe well on the counter in a warm kitchen area.

Nutrition