This sweet and savory Puerto Rican plantain lasagna has turned VEGAN and it’s just as good! This vegan pastelón is made with sweet plantains, flavor-packed lentils, and Puerto Rican spices.
Cook Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: caribbean, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Vegan
Place plantains, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce to medium-low and simmer until plantains are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Rinse foam from plantains and drain excess water.
Transfer boiled plantains into a large bowl. Mashed plantains with a potato mashed or a fork. Then, add ¼ teaspoon of salt, vegan butter, and vegan milk. Combine well. Set aside.
Lentil Filling
In a saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the sofrito. Stir constantly until fragrant, for about 1-2 minutes. Next, add the walnuts, oregano, adobo seasoning, sazon, black pepper, olives. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Pour lentils and water into the saucepan or dutch oven. Combine well.
Without a lid, bring everything to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce to low to medium-low and simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble Pastelón
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.
Scoop half of the mashed plantains into the baking dish. Press down the mashed plantains for a leveled layer.
Scoop all of the lentils and spread evenly on top of the mashed plantains. Then, apply the rest of the mashed plantains on top, spreading evenly. Brush the top layer with oil.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Then, remove foil and broil for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the pastelón from the oven and allow to cool down for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Feel free to top off the pastelón with vegan cheese. The vegan cheese can also be added between the layers, similar to lasagna.
I suggest using homemadesofrito. Store-bought sofrito just isn't the same.
This recipe serves about 6 people.
Be sure the plantains are very ripe. They need to be tender to the touch, so we can yield soft and creamy mashed plantains.