Turkey Plantain Lasagna (Turkey Pastelon)

I went to Puerto Rico a couple of years ago and came back with an obsession with plantains.  There is a dish there called Mofongo that is essentially mashed, fried plantains served with some kind of sauce and protein.  It is amazing!

CA even made it for me a few months ago and it was just as delicious as I remember.  It had shrimp and a spicy sauce on it.  He really does like me.

Plantains are not bananas.  They look like bananas and have a subtle banana-like sweetness but they're much starchier like a potato.  I love them.  They come in either green which is less sweet or ripe which is a bit sweeter but still not as sweet as our bananas.

The plantains in this recipe essentially replace the pasta in this "lasagna". 

They are peeled, thinly sliced and seared on each side in a non-stick skillet.

In between the plantain layers is a turkey picadillo which is the "marinara sauce" of this lasagna.  It is a combination of ground turkey, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro and tomato sauce seasoned with cumin and oregano.  That's all fairly regular, but the special addition here are alcaparrado peppers.  I'd never heard of these until I read this recipe and I was totally shocked when I actually found them in my grocery store.  It's a mixture of green olives, capers and pimentos.  A couple tablespoons of these along with a couple tablespoons of the brine go into the picadillo and it had a huge impact on the flavor!  The sauce almost has a Spanish flavor with the salty olives and capers.

Did I mention there's also cheese?  It can't be lasagna without cheese.

A mixture of eggs, egg whites and milk are used to bind the whole thing together.

This is a really yummy variation on lasagna.  I love the flavor of the olives and of course I love the plantains.  It also reheats really well - especially with a little salsa on top. 

Did I mention this is a light recipe?  I know, right???

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs - Skinnytaste.  She does an awesome job lightening up some classic dishes using real ingredients.  I've made so many great recipes from this site - you should check it out.

Enjoy!
Julie