Plantain Lasagna with Ground Turkey blog post

I came across this recipe after receiving plantains back to-back from my local pantry. I usually make sweet fried plantains with rice, but this time I discovered pastelón, also known as Spanish-style lasagna, where plantains are used in place of traditional noodles. I didn’t have all the typical ingredients and used ground turkey instead of ground beef, but I made it work with what I had. In the end, I was very pleased with how it turned out.

Desire Eats

4/12/20261 min read

Servings:

  • Serves 6–8 people

Prep Time:

  • 20–25 minutes

Cook Time:

  • 45 minutes – 1 hour (includes simmering the turkey for flavor)

Bake Time:

  • 25–30 minutes

Total Time:

  • About 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Plantains

• 3–4 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots), sliced lengthwise

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil

For the Turkey Filling

• 1 lb ground turkey

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic)

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp adobo seasoning

• 1–2 tsp taco seasoning

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1–1½ cups pasta sauce (or tomato sauce)

• ½–1 cup water

For the Layers

• 1–1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prep the plantains

• Peel and slice plantains lengthwise

• Lightly brush with olive oil

• Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes until tender OR lightly pan-fry

• Set aside

2. Build the turkey flavor

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat

• Add onions and bell peppers, sauté until soft

• Add ground turkey and cook until browned

3. Season & simmer

• Add garlic powder, onion powder, adobo seasoning, taco seasoning, and black pepper

• Stir well to coat the meat

• Add pasta sauce + water

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour

(This is where the flavor builds—don’t rush it)