This is the best dish for plantain lovers! While plantains provide a sweet delicious flavor they are also packed with vitamin and mineral content. Plantains contain vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as minerals magnesium and potassium. This dish contains loads of other veggies like eggplant, bell pepper, onion, & tomato. All of the veggies are layered and topped with cheese (like in lasagna), but unlike lasagna this dish has a great sweet flavor from the plantains. We hope you take the time to try out this dish and let us know what you think!
Vegetarian Pastelón with Eggplant
Servings 6-8
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion minced
2 large eggplants cut into small cubes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bell pepper, diced
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp chopped cilantro
3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
6 plantains very ripe
¼ cup butter
1 cup grated cheddar
½ tsp annatto
½ tsp cumin
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease (with spray or oil) a 9×13 casserole pan and set aside.
- In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Stir in onions and cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for a minute. Add eggplant, annatto, cumin and cook until it browns.
- Pour in tomato sauce, add bell pepper, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes Taste and season if necessary. Remove from heat.
- Peel the plantains and boil adding 1 tsp of salt to the water. Once tender remove from heat.
- Take the plantains out of the water and mash them with a fork. Add the butter and keep mashing until smooth. Put half of the plantain mixture in the casserole pan, cover with the eggplant mixture, add half of the cheese and cover with remaining plantain mixture, add rest of the cheese
- Bake until the top is golden brown 10–15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before serving.
