Sweet Plantain Lasagna (Lasaña de Plátano Maduro)

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Lasagna with no pasta: strips of ripe plantain cut lengthwise take the place of the sheets, layered with a beef and tomato sauce and plenty of cheese, then baked until the top browns. Sweet against savoury, and naturally gluten-free. Serves eight.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: ripe plantain cake, sweet plantain lasagna

Servings:

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

3 large ripe plantains the skin should be dark; these replace the pasta sheets
500 g ground beef about 1 lb
¼ cup Bolognese sauce or any tomato pasta sauce
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
250 g mozzarella or parmesan, for the layers and the top about 9 oz; mozzarella melts, parmesan browns. A mix of both works well
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
A pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Over medium-high heat, fry the garlic and chopped onion, then add the tomato and stir for 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring.
When the beef is about half cooked, add the Bolognese sauce and let it finish for another 4 minutes.
Separately, cut the plantains lengthwise into long, thin strips, so they are wide enough to act as lasagna sheets. Fry them in a pan with a splash of oil.
To assemble, use an oven dish: a layer of plantain strips on the base, then cheese, then the beef in its sauce, then cheese again, and repeat until everything is used. Finish with a thick layer of cheese on top.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) until the top is completely browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Serve with bread or a salad.

Notes

Cut the plantains lengthwise, not across: you need long wide strips to work as lasagna sheets, and rounds will not layer. Frying them first is what stops the lasagna going watery, since plantain releases moisture as it bakes. The plantains should be well ripened and dark-skinned, because the sweetness against the beef and tomato is the whole idea. Let it rest for five minutes out of the oven before cutting, or the layers slide apart on the plate.

Nutrition