Lasagna Research Paper

Keishla Hernandez
Eng. 101
Prof. Johnson
Puerto Rican Food
Pastelon vs Lasagna

When people think of lasagna and “pastelon” they think they are different, but, in fact, they are very similar. In comparing a lasagna prepared in a Puerto Rican style of cooking and a “pastelon” which is a sweet yellow plantain dish, we can compare them in the preparation and the assembly of the dish while there is a difference in taste. These dishes, consist of ground beef and cheese, they are assembled in multiple layers, and I usually serve with white rice, salad or garlic bread. Sometimes I serve it with all three, but, in this case, I will compare them with salads as a side. Both the pastelon and lasagna have many similarities in a descriptive way but a difference
Another ingredient that is added to this dish is beaten eggs. The eggs are used to secure all the ingredients together. To begin, the yellow plantain is peeled and thickly sliced lengthwise and fried in hot oil until brown. If the peel is green to yellow the plantain is going to be bland, but if the plantain when you bought it was already yellow and you leave them in room temperature couple days after, the peel will start turning black. Guess what? That is when you will taste better the sweetness, and you will notice it because they will have a creamy texture after you peel them. However, the oil must be hot and when you place the slices of plantain it would pop and if you are not careful can burn your arms. The fried plantain is then placed on paper towels or a brown paper bag in order to absorb any excess grease. After all the plantain is fried it is set aside while the meat is prepared. The ground beef is first browned and drained of any excess grease. A dash of oil is heated on a separate pan and sliced or grated onions are added to the heated oil. You then add a dab of “sazon”, “sofrito” and garlic to the onions until well sautéed. The cooked ground beef is then added to the onion mix with a ¼ cup of water and completely cooked for about 10 to 15 minutes. In contrast with the
The ingredients for the salad are baby spinach, washed with warm water and dried, and a choice of nuts such as walnuts, almonds or pecans, thinly chopped. You can also add dried cranberries or fresh slices of apples, and, finally crumbled feta cheese. Unlike the salad for the lasagna, this one will be tender and sweet at the same time. For the dressing, I use olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper to taste. For this salad, I mix the dressing into the bowl but will provide crunchy croutons on the side for those who might want to add them to their