Puerto Rican breadfruit lasagna with recao pulled pork and silky pumpkin cream

Name: Puerto Rican breadfruit lasagna with recao pulled pork and silky pumpkin cream
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Puertorriqueña
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cubed; 2.6 lb breadfruit; 1.1 lb Puerto Rican pumpkin, cubed; 10.5 oz queso del país, shredded; 1 1/2 cups white onion, chopped; 1 cup cubanelle pepper, chopped; 1/2 cup sweet peppers, chopped; 8 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 cup culantro (recao), chopped; 1 cup tomato sauce; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 leaf bay leaf; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

An original Puerto Rican-style lasagna that replaces pasta with roasted breadfruit slices. It is layered with sofrito-and-recado braised pulled pork, a silky pumpkin cream, and melted queso del país for a comforting, festive island-inspired dish.

35 minPrep

80 minCook

115 minTotal

8Servings

High ProteinGluten-Free

Ingredients

Adjust servings

900 g boneless pork shoulder, cubed (for guisar and desmenuzar)
1200 g breadfruit (pelada and cut thinly sliced of 1 cm)
500 g Puerto Rican pumpkin, cubed (for the cream)
300 g queso del país, shredded (divided)
200 g white onion, chopped (divided)
120 g cubanelle pepper, chopped (divided)
60 g sweet peppers, chopped (divided)
24 g garlic, minced (divided)
20 g culantro (recao), chopped (divided)
240 ml tomato sauce (for the guiso)
720 ml chicken broth (divided)
360 ml evaporated milk (for the cream)
45 ml olive oil (divided)
28 g butter (for the cream)
2 g dried oregano
1 g ground cumin
2 g sweet paprika
1 unit bay leaf
12 g salt (or to taste, divided)
3 g black pepper (divided)
16 g cornstarch (disuelta en a poco of caldo cold)
35 g grated Parmesan cheese (for gratinar)

Nutrition facts

per serving

595 kcal

Calories

34 g

Protein

31 g

Carbs

37 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

26 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

Dairy

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Lightly grease a baking sheet and a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2
Season the pork with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the oregano, cumin, and sweet paprika.
3
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork for 6 to 8 minutes, working in batches if needed.
4
Add half of the onion, half of the cubanelle pepper, half of the sweet peppers, and half of the garlic to the pot. Cook for 4 minutes until softened.
5
Stir in the tomato sauce, 2 cups (480 ml) of chicken broth, and the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, or until the pork is very tender.
6
Meanwhile, toss the breadfruit slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F / 220°C, turning halfway through, until tender and lightly golden.
7
Place the pumpkin in a saucepan with the butter, the remaining onion, remaining cubanelle pepper, remaining sweet peppers, remaining garlic, and 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes until the pumpkin is very tender.
8
Add the evaporated milk to the pumpkin saucepan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat, add half of the recao, and blend until smooth. Return the cream to the saucepan, add the dissolved cornstarch, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
9
When the pork is ready, remove the bay leaf and shred the meat directly in the pot using two forks. Add the remaining recao and cook uncovered for 5 minutes so the sauce reduces slightly.
10
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F / 190°C. In the baking dish, spread a thin layer of pumpkin cream. Add a layer of breadfruit slices, then a layer of shredded pork, more pumpkin cream, and a layer of queso del país. Repeat the layers, finishing with pumpkin cream on top.
11
Sprinkle the remaining queso del país and the Parmesan over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375°F / 190°C.
12
Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is bubbling and browned around the edges. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chef tips

For clean slices, let the lasagna rest at least 10 minutes. If the breadfruit is very ripe, roast it only until tender so it does not fall apart during layering.

Substitutions

You can use butternut squash if Puerto Rican pumpkin is unavailable. Queso del país may be replaced with low-moisture mozzarella for a stretchier finish, though the flavor will be less traditional.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
View on Amazon
Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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