Pastelón – Puerto Rican vegan plantain lasagna

In Puerto Rico people have found a very special use for plantains: they make lasagna from them. The dish is called Pastelón. In our version it is vegan and gluten-free. Recipe by Sarah-Vanessa Schneider, Velvet & Vinegar

05/03/2026

Ingredients

Ingredients for 4 portions

Plantains

6 green plantains

rapeseed oil organic

salt organic

Filling

2 tbsp olive oil organic

1 onion organic

3 garlic cloves organic

200 g brown mushrooms organic

1/2 eggplant organic

1 red bell pepper organic

1 green bell pepper organic

1/2-1* bunch cilantro organic

200 g green lentils organic

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds organic

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika powder

salt & pepper organic

250 ml water or vegetable broth

350 ml tomato sugo organic

Chickpea-water mixture

90 g chickpea flour organic

200 ml water

1 tsp kala namak

salt & pepper organic

Vegan cheese sauce

200 g oat cream or oat milk organic

200 ml water

2 tsp potato starch approx. 10g

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes approx. 10g, organic

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 Prise paprika powder

1 Prise turmeric organic

Preparation

How to succeed with the vegan plantain lasagna

Cook the lentils with the tomato sauce really well. It should not be too liquid, otherwise the lasagna will not hold together well and will be too runny.

Briefly pan-fry the green plantain slices on both sides in oil beforehand or bake them for 10–15 minutes in the oven. Be sure to oil the baking tray well, otherwise the plantain slices will stick.

For the dish you can use very green but also lighter green plantains. Traditionally with sweet (yellow) cooking plantains; do not use fully ripe yellow bananas!

Peel green plantains like cooking plantains: cut off the ends, make a lengthwise slit, lift off the peel. Easier after 20 minutes in water. Wash hands regularly, as sticky juice will be released.

Baking and layering

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius. Peel plantains, halve and cut each into 5 slices. Grease the tray with oil, arrange slices on it and brush both sides with a little oil.

Bake plantains for 15 minutes with fan in the middle of the oven, turn halfway through. Remove and let cool. Repeat until all slices are baked.

Peel and finely chop onions and garlic. Core the peppers and cut together with eggplant and mushrooms into small pieces. Finely chop the cilantro.

Heat olive oil. Add all ingredients up to and including the paprika powder and sauté for about 8 minutes over medium heat. Deglaze with broth and tomato sugo, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the filling is no longer too liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a baking dish. Spread a thin layer of filling on the bottom, then place plantain slices lengthwise on top. Layer filling and plantains alternately, finishing with plantains.

Whisk chickpea flour, water and kala namak until smooth, season with salt and pepper and pour over the lasagna. Tap the dish gently on the work surface several times if necessary.

Bring oat milk and water to a boil, add remaining ingredients and simmer while stirring until the cheese sauce reaches the desired consistency. Spoon over the lasagna.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 180° Celsius for 30 minutes.

Notes

*Depending on how intense you want the cilantro flavor, use 1/2 – 1 bunch. Sarah used about 1/2 bunch.

* In the text you will find instructions on how to easily peel the plantains. Preparation time for the recipe without soaking time for the plantains.

* If you want it faster, you can also fry the plantains in a pan with oil. This version is faster but a bit less healthy because you need more oil.

*If the filling becomes too dry, you can add water. In the end the filling should have no liquid visible in the pan.

*Half of the cheese sauce is enough for the lasagna. The cheese sauce is a recipe Sarah has used for a long time and was not developed specifically for the lasagna. Therefore the recipe shows just the basic version. You will not need all of the cheese sauce. Use the remainder for a tasty mac and cheese.

Bananas Rapsöl Extra virgin olive oil Zwiebeln Auberginen Peperoni Linsenpaket Black Pepper Grains Vegetable stock Tomato Passata Black Pepper Grains Main course

For this recipe, you will need