Vegan Pastelón (Puerto Rican Plantain "Lasagna")
This vegan pastelón, also known as plantain lasagna, is a Puerto Rican classic made plant-based with lentils and sweet plantains.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 448kcal
Equipment
- 6x6 baking dish
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Mashed Plantains
- 5 ripe plantains peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ cup vegan milk soy milk was used
Lentil Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons sofrito
- ½ cup walnuts crushed or chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sazon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup pimento-stuffed green olives halved
- 1 cup green lentils rinsed and pick out any debris and broken lentils
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
Instructions
Mashed Plantains
- Place the plantains, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the plantains are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Skim off any foam and drain the water.
- Transfer the plantains to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt, vegan butter, and vegan milk until smooth. Set aside.
Lentil Filling
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sofrito and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in walnuts, oregano, adobo seasoning, sazon, black pepper, and olives. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add lentils and water. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble Pastelón
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Spread half of the mashed plantains evenly in the dish, pressing down to form a flat layer.
- Add all of the lentil filling, spreading it evenly over the plantains. Top with the remaining mashed plantains, smoothing the surface. Brush the top with oil.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for 4–5 minutes until golden.
- Let cool 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 homemade sofrito. 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1-serving | Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 1156mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1975IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg