Vegetarian Pastelón with Cheese and Plantains

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-20 · Updated 2026-04-20

A layered casserole of mashed plantains, vegetable filling, and melted cheese, baked to golden perfection. This puerto rican-inspired vegetarian ready in about 75 minutes pairs plantains, tablespoons olive oil, large yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 plantains
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large pot, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add 4 peeled and 1/2-inch-thick sliced plantains, and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Step 2: In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 diced green bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth, 1/2 cup corn kernels, and 1/2 cup rinsed black beans to the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Step 4: In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the vegetable sauce mixture. Layer half of the cooked plantain slices over the sauce. Top with half of the remaining sauce mixture and 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining plantain slices, sauce, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more until cheese is golden and bubbly.