Pastelón — the Puerto Rican lasagna

Sweet ripe plantain over seasoned beef. Comfort, layered.

Pastelón de Plátanos Maduros, often called "Sweet Plantain Lasagna," is an absolute favorite dish in our house. It celebrates the fusion of flavors and textures in Puerto Rican cooking! Alternating layers of sweet, ripe plantains, arranged with savory ground beef, eggs, and cheese, creating a harmonious symphony of sweet and savory mouthwatering. Pastelón tells a story of the island's rich culinary heritage, blending Spanish, African, and Taino influences into a comforting and indulgent meal.

§ Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons corn oil for meat
• ¼ cup corn oil for frying platanos (plantains)
• ½ green and ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 ajices dulce (or sweet yellow and orange peppers), finely diced.
• 6–8 garlic cloves, finely diced.
• 1 medium onion finely diced.
• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
• 2-4 tablespoons of Adobo seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of sofrito
• 2 or 3 leaves of finely diced recao or cilantro
• 2 eggs, beaten.
• 6 ripe plantains, mostly yellow with some black spots

§ Instructions · Let's get cooking

1. 01Season ground beef with adobo, salt, and pepper to taste.
2. 02In a deep-frying pan, sauté bell pepper, ajices dulce (or sweet peppers), garlic, sofrito, and onions in 1-2 tablespoon of oil until translucent – about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. 03Add ground beef, breaking it up completely.
4. 04When lightly browned, drain the meat and stir in the tomato sauce and raisins.
5. 05Add the finely diced recao (or cilantro) and olives (1 tablespoon of capers optional) and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. 06Peel and diagonally slice the ripe platanos (plantains).
7. 07Fry in oil until lightly browned on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
8. 08Spray a 9"x 13" baking dish or 10" cast iron skillet with cooking spray
9. 09Add a layer of fried plantains.
10. 10Add a layer of picadillo (meat mixture)
11. 11Add a layer of cheese.
12. 12Repeat with a layer of plantains.
13. 13Follow with a layer of picadillo and a layer of cheese.
14. 14If your pan is deep enough, repeat!
15. 15Whip the eggs and pour the mixture over the top layer.
16. 16Sprinkle with some of the shredded cheese and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.
17. 17Bake in the oven at 350� until lightly browned about 20 – 30 minutes.