Lentil Pastelon

This Lentil Pastelon recipe is a Caribbean take on lasagna, featuring layers of fried plantains, lentils, and lots of cheese. It’s comfort food at its finest. You won’t be able to eat just one bite!

Happy Sunday!

I’ve really been craving comfort food recently. And for me, comfort food means anything that involves plantains. Honestly, I don’t know why but something about plantains just makes me so happy. And when you add cheese… well that’s just heaven on a plate. That’s why I’m so excited to share this vegetarian pastelon recipe!

What is pastelon?

Pastelon or pinon is basically plantain lasagna. It’s very common in Puerto Rico, but there are different variations across the Caribbean. While the ingredients in a pastelon recipe can vary depending on whose house you go to, it will almost always have fried ripe plantain, meat (usually ground beef), and cheese.

The recipe…

For this pastelon recipe, I decided to make a vegetarian version since I don’t eat meat. I substituted lentils in place of the ground beef, and seasoned the lentils the same way I would season beef. The flavor is simply amazing!

Here’s what I did to create this pastelon:

1. Saute shallots and finely minced garlic in a dutch oven until shallots turn translucent. Add chopped bell peppers and jalapenos. Then add adobo seasoning, garlic powder (yes, we’re using fresh garlic and garlic powder), paprika, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water and stir until combined.
2. Cook lentils and drain. Add cooked lentils to the sauce mixture. Cover pot and let the the lentils simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the stove and leave the lentils for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken further while you fry the plantains.
3. Peel ripe plantains and cut lengthwise. You should get about 3 good slices per plantain. Fry plantains on both sides until golden brown, then set aside.
4. Assemble the plantains by greasing a 8×8 baking dish. Layer as follows:
   • Bottom layer – fried plantains
   • Layer 2 – lentil mixture
   • Layer 3 – cheese (I used provolone, mozzarella, and gouda)
   • Repeat layers 2 more times.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. If you want to brown the cheese even more, broil for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh herbs. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it. If you can wait that long!

P.S. my momma bought me this plate for my birthday. Isn’t it beautiful?! 😀

What kind of plantain should you use…

This vegetarian pastelon recipe calls for ripe soft plantain. The plantains should be dark yellow on the outside, and it would be even better if the skin is starting to turn black. It’s really important to use plantains at the right ripeness. Plantains that are not ripe enough will be dry and tough, while plantains that are too ripe won’t be firm enough to stand up to all the meat and cheese we’ll be adding.

Substitutions…

If you want to make this recipe with meat instead, substitute 3 lbs of ground beef. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then cook until no pink spots remain. Then add the cooked beef to the sauce as instructed above. The beef should have some liquid, but if there’s too much (more than 2 tbsp), drain the excess liquid before adding to the sauce.

Looking for more fall recipes? Try:

Haitian Pumpkin Soup Joumou

Oxtail Ragu with Plantain Gnocchi

Trini Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Lime Rice

Share this recipe…

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!

Lentil Pastelon

Author: Dani

4 from 2 votes

This Lentil Pastelon recipe has layers of fried plantains, lentils, and lots of cheese. You won't be able to eat just one bite!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 6 people

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Caribbean

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped (or 1 medium sweet onion)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water (use as needed)
• 3 cups cooked lentils
• coarse salt and pepper
• 6-8 ripe plantains
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 12 slices provolone cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup smoked gouda cheese
• fresh herbs to garnish (I used thyme and sage)

Instructions 

• Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, saute until shallots become translucent. Add bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute. Add seasonings, dried herbs, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water (start with half of the water). Stir to combine. Add cooked lentils and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Check lentils. If the sauce is too thick, add remaining water and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove dutch oven from the heat and rest covered for another 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken further. Set aside.
• Peel plantains and cut lengthwise. You should get about 3-4 pieces per plantain. Fry plantain in canola oil until each side is golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Line dish with a layer of plantains, followed by the lentil mixture, then provolone, mozarella, and gouda. Repeat twice more for 3 total layers. Top with more coarse salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese melts and is bubbly. If your cheese is not brown enough, broil for an additional 2-3 minutes. Let the pastelon rest for 10 minutes, then garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram and hashtag it #sweetandsorrel so we can see all the deliciousness!

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Keyword fried plantain, lasagna, pastelon, plantain lasagna