By james art 
Celebrity chef Robert Irvine — known for shows like “Dinner: Impossible” and “Restaurant: Impossible” — makes homemade lasagna a little differently than the traditional way. In fact, it has an ingredient swap that makes it a bit healthier. Irvine spoke with the Daily Meal at the New York Food and Wine Festival, telling us about this healthier lasagna. The exchange? Thinly sliced plantain instead of typical lasagna skins.
Irvine recommends plantain greens in particular for this dish, adding that he thinks plantains not only hold up better as a dish, but also have the added benefit of being healthier. “Lasagna is very rich in coal. The plantain is not,” he told us, adding, “The starch in the plantain seals the lasagna much better. It’s incredible.”
Plantain lasagna is actually a common Puerto Rican dish known as pastelon. Pastellon elements vary, but some common ingredients include ground beef, onions, olives, green beans, cheese, and a Puerto Rican pepper called a picadillo.
Customize your plantain lasagna to your liking
If you trust Robert Irvine’s judgment, you might try plantain lasagna at home. The best part? You can customize it to your liking. If you want to try a traditional Puerto Rican pastelón, there are many recipes to take advantage of. But you can also just make the lasagna as usual, with the plantain as the only different detail.
Follow Irvine’s lead with this dish; since the plantain already makes it a bit more nutritious, you can use the opportunity to make the whole dish a lighter and healthier version of the traditional lasagna. For example, how about packing a container full of vegetables? Add the ingredients for a roasted vegetable lasagna – just swap the lasagna skins for plantain slices. Or, if you want to add meat, you can choose something leaner than beef, like ground turkey—just make sure you avoid the most common mistakes people make when cooking with ground turkey.