Easy Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna Recipe | 4-Step Pastelón
Do you love plantains? What about lasagna? If the answer is “yes,” this Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna is a match made in heaven. Beautiful textures and flavors that melt in your mouth with each bite.
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The plantain fruit is an essential ingredient throughout the Caribbean. It is versatile, inexpensive and delicious. Perfect for savory and sweet dishes alike. Brought by the Spanish during colonization, African slaves made all sorts of intricate delicious dishes with plantains. This shaped a great part of what is the culinary experience in most of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Puerto Rico and the Dominican have similar dishes, both referred to as Pastelón, but there are distinct variations. For example, the Puerto Rican version uses thin strips of fried plantains rather than a boiled mash. It also includes egg, tomato sauce, and other ingredients that play into the savory and sweet balance even further.
For the Puerto Rican Pastelón, view this recipe. If you like sweet plantains, you should try both dishes as they are distinctly delicious in their own way!
What do I need for Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna?
The equipment required for this recipe is simple:
- Large skillet or frying pan
- Medium or large pot
- Tongs
- Large spoon
- Baking dish of your choice
As far as ingredients, you need:
- 5-6 ripe plantains (ripe/yellow with black spots)
- 1 lb ground beef
- Adobo to taste*
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 oz can evaporated milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella cheese)
How To Make Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna?
Prepare the plantains.
Set water to boil in a large pot of water. Then peel and cut your plantains into thirds. Once the water boils, add your plantains and allow them to soften for about 10-12 minutes.
Prepare beef filling.
While plantains boil, add ground meat and season with Adobo or salt and black pepper, to a medium skillet at medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes then remove from heat. Drain fat and set aside.
Once the plantains are soft, drain all the water. Add evaporated milk and a touch of salt. With a potato masher, mash the plantain until you have a soft texture, and it is all well incorporated.
Assemble Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin assembling your lasagna by creating a layer of plantain in the bottom of your dish. Then add half of the beef filling, and top with shredded cheese. Repeat all three layers, topping the ground beef with as much cheese as you like.
Bake & Serve.
Bake your sweet plantain lasagna for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven, then slice and serve as desired.
Notes.
If you do not have Adobo seasoning at hand, simply use salt and black pepper to taste or your favorite blend of seasonings.
The thickness of the layers of plantain mixture is entirely up to you. I prefer a thicker layer but if you want to split it more, you can. Also, you can save any leftover plantain mixture to make mangú, one of the Dominican Republic’s biggest culinary pride, and with GOOD reason.
Storage.
Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. It can be slowly reheated in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also be microwaved for a few minutes with a top, to aid in warming up evenly.
I hope you enjoy this simple yet delicious Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna Recipe. It is an awesome crowd pleaser, and so filling. Perfect for family dinner or entertaining guests. For savory plantains, try this delicious 15-Min Tostones Recipe.
As always, buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Easy Dominican Sweet Plantain Lasagna Recipe | 4-Step Pastelón
Equipment
- large skillet or frying pan
- Medium or large pot
- Tongs
- Large spoon
- Baking dish of choice
Ingredients
- 5-6 ripe plantains yellow with black spots
- 1 lb ground beef
- Adobo to taste*
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 oz can evaporated milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Prepare The Plantains.
- Prepare the plantains. Set water to boil in a large pot of water. Then peel and cut your plantains into thirds.
- Once the water boils, add your plantains and allow them to soften for about 10-12 minutes.
Prepare The Beef Filling.
- While plantains boil, add ground meat to a medium skillet at medium-high heat and season with Adobo or salt and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes then remove from heat. Drain fat and set aside.
- Once the plantains are soft, drain all the water. Add evaporated milk and a touch of salt. With a potato masher, mash the plantain until you have a soft texture, and it is all well incorporated.
Assemble Sweet Plantain Dominican Lasagna.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Begin assembling your lasagna by creating a layer of plantain in the bottom of your dish. Then add half of the beef filling, and top with shredded cheese. Repeat all three layers, topping the ground beef with as much cheese as you like.
Bake & Serve.
- Bake your sweet plantain lasagna for about 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
- Remove from oven, then slice and serve as desired.
