Vegan Pastelón de Amarillos- #VeganizedPuertoRican

Learn to veganize the Puerto Rican classic, Pastelón de Amarillos! Made with layers of fried plantains, soy picadillo, and vegan cheese!

Vegan | Gluten-Free | Soy-free

Today I’m sharing with you another of my most requested recipes! A #VeganizedPuertoRican that has been one of my favorite traditional recipes from the start: Pastelón de Amarillos. And a recipe that many of us grew up with, watching our parents and/or grandparents make.

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What is Pastelón de Amarillos?

Pastelón de Amarillos (or Pastelón de Platano Maduro) is a typical Puerto Rican dish that can be found anywhere in the Caribbean and most Central American countries. It’s a dish similar to a lasagna but made from fried ripe plantains instead of pasta.

As with all the other traditional recipes, many versions exist; we have a version that uses mashed potatoes, and Dominicans have a version with mashed plantains. The important thing is, that the mix of ripe plantains and picadillo, makes for a sweet and salty combo that’s bound to captivate any palate in the world.

Do you want to know how to prepare a tasty Pastelón?

Veganizing the Pastelón

Just like every other traditional recipe, this one is not vegan right off the bat. I substituted the ground beef for ground soy, switched the cheese for vegan cheese, and instead of eggs, I used melted vegan butter.

Once you have all of your substitutes, it’s time to assemble. Layer the pastelón, just as you would when making a lasagna. First layer the fried plantains, then the picadillo, and then the cheese. Repeat until your last layer is fried plantains, sprinkle over vegan cheese, and then pour the melted vegan butter all around. 

After that, bake until the vegan cheese has melted and it’s golden brown on top. We love serving it with some white rice and avocado on the side. The result is an explosion of flavors like anything else!

Notes:

• If you don’t want to use soy ground for the picadillo, try using walnut meat or mushroom ground.
• Not a fan of frying? No probs! Boil the plantains until soft, and then mash. Assemble the pastelón layering the mash, followed by the picadillo, and then the cheese. Repeat until your last layer is the plantain mash, topped with vegan cheese, and pour over the vegan melted butter. Bake following the same instructions below. 

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Vegan Pastelón de Amarillos

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes 60 minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

Vegan Picadillo:

• ½  cup olive oil
• 2 cups (approx. 1lb) soy ground
• 1 teaspoon sofrito
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 1 bell pepper, minced (about 1 cup)
• 2 recao leaves, chopped
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup veggie stock
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Other ingredients:

• 4 ripe (yellow) plantains, about 3lbs
• 2 cups vegan shredded cheddar, or mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup melted butter
• Frying vegetable oil

Procedure

Vegan Picadillo:

1. To a saucepan add olive oil, garlic, and onions. Sauteé for about 5 minutes in medium heat, until translucent. 
2. Then add bell pepper, sofrito, and tomato sauce, stir to mix. 
3. After everything is incorporated, add vegetable stock, recao leaves, and season with salt & pepper to taste. 
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce back to medium and allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. 
5. Remove from heat, and set aside. 

Plantains:

1. Peel the plantains and cut them into long ¼ -inch lengthways slices. In a large frying pan over medium heat, fry plantains until soft and golden, about 2-4 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to drain.

Assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish and set it aside.
2. Assemble as if you were assembling a lasagna. Arrange fried plantains in a single layer in the baking dish. Then add a layer of the picadillo, followed by a layer of vegan cheese. Repeat these layers ending with a layer of plantains topped with more vegan cheese.
3. Pour melted butter over the casserole and shake to distribute through the layers.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Serving:

1. Cut the pastelón in equal pieces (once lengthwise, and three times sidewise); if using an 8x8 pan, you should end up with six pieces. 
2. Serve with cooked white rice and slices of avocado on the side. ENJOY!

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