Pastelón de Plátano Maduro (Plantain Lasagna Recipe)

Slice of pastelon de platano maduro (plantain lasagna) on a white plate.

5 from 2 votes

Pastelón de Plátano Maduro (Plantain Lasagna Recipe)

Pastelón de Plátano Maduro (plantain lasagna) is a Dominican favorite made with mashed sweet plantains, beef picadillo, and cheese. Layered and baked in the oven until the top is perfectly crispy, this classic dish hits all the right notes!

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Latin/Caribbean

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 719kcal

Author: Crystal DaCruz

Ingredients

For the beef filling

1 small red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic
1 red bell pepper medium
2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
1.5 pounds ground beef 85/15
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
¼ cup green pitted olives sliced
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin

For the pastelón

6 ripe plantains yellow with back spots
6 tablespoon butter salted
1 teaspoon salt to salt the plantains
1 cup reserved starch water from boiling the plantains
3 cups skim-milk mozzarella shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese finely shredded

Instructions

Prepare the ground beef filling

In a deep skillet or pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, bell peppers and cilantro. Sauté until fragrant, about 3–5 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the same skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it's browned and no longer pink.
Stir in the tomato sauce, and add the bay leaves, dry seasonings (cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper) and olives. Combine and bring it to a simmer.
Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked off. Stir occasionally to keep the ground beef from from drying out. Once fully cooked, discard the bay leaves.

Boil the Plantains

Peel the plantains and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Place them in a pan, cover with water, and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil and let the plantains cook for 20 minutes, or until they're tender.
Save 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain the plantains.
In a large bowl, mash the plantains with the butter using a masher. Slowly add the reserved cooking water until the plantains are smooth. Give the mashed plantains a final mix with a spatula, so they're smooth and creamy.

Assemble the pastelón

Preheat your oven to 350° fahrenheit and grease your baking dish with softened butter or cooking spray. Spread ½ of the mashed plantains into an even layer.
Drain any grease or excess liquid from the beef, then use a slotted spoon to layer all of the ground beef over the first layer of plantains.
Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and half of the cheddar cheese over the ground beef.
Top with a final layer of mashed plantains and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake the pastelón uncovered for 30 minutes. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting it into slices.
Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top, cut the pastelón into slices and serve it right away.

Notes

Order the pastelón in this sequence:

Half of the mashed plantains
All of the ground beef
Half of the cheddar cheese + half of the mozzarella cheese
Remaining mashed plantains + remaining cheese on top

Tips and Tricks:

Keep the plantains in a brown paper bag so they ripen faster
For the picadillo: use ½ of an onion if 1 whole onion seems like too much
The mashed plantains might thicken or harden as you're layering. Mash with more of the starch water as needed, so it's easy to spread.

For deep dish pastelon:

Use a deep baking dish (I suggest 8x8 inches and 3.5 inches deep)
Use 8 ripe plantains instead of 6
Use 2 pounds of ground beef and double up on both types of cheese
Create 3 layers of plantains, 2 layers of beef, and 3 layers of cheese
Note: You might have extra plantains, beef, or cheese left over, depending on the size of your baking dish.

Nutrition