Puerto Rican Pinon (Plantain Lasagna)

Like this Post?:
Puerto Rican Pinon - Plantain Lasagna - Piñón - Caribbean recipe

Puerto Rican Plantain Lasagna – Piñón

Puerto Rican Pinon (Piñón), a traditional layered casserole, features a complex flavor profile with seasoned ground beef, sweet plantains, and cheese as the foundation.  The tomato sauce, capers, and green olives make for a dish with potent flavors that hits all of the taste buds.


INGREDIENTS

  • 4 ripe yellow plantains
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp manzanilla olives (Green/Spanish Olives)
  • 1 tbsp capers (Alcaparrado)
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 lb ground sirloin

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Peel the plantains, cut them each in half, and slice into 1/2″ thick strips.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the plantain strips and fry until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. In a clean frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion and the bell peppers until the onion is translucent. Remove from pan and set aside.
  5. In the same pan (don’t wipe clean), brown the sirloin over high heat, stirring constantly.
  6. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, and the remaining ingredients, except the cheddar cheese and fried plantains. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Grease a shallow baking dish and alternate layers of plantains and meat filling. Use 1/2 of the plantains, then 1/2 of the meat filling, 1/2 of the plantains, and 1/2 of the meat filling. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.
  8. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 – 8 minutes.
  10. Cut into wedges and serve, hot, with crusty bread.
Adapted from Rican Recipes


Share