Parmigiana di zucca e lenticchie - Squash and Lentil Parmigiana

Today I feel like having a vegetarian Sunday lunch: something special but without meat. I prepare a winter Parmigiana, made with squash, lentils and spinach.
I start by cooking my ingredients, separately and in a different way: I bake the squash for 20 minutes, as I want it still crunchy.
I sauté my small brown lentils with onion and carrot and then I braise them in a little tomato passata and vegetable stock for 30 to 40 minutes.
I  sauté my spinach in oil and garlic for 5 minutes.

I peel the squash (once cooked, it is easy to do it) and finely slice it with a sharp knife.

I grease an oven dish with oil and cover the bottom with the squash.

Then, I cover the squash with the lentils and arrange some spinach on top. I dot the spinach with goat cheese and I start again with the squash, repeating the process for three times.

I finish the dish with a squash layer, dotted with goat cheese and sprinkled with Parmesan. I bake it in the hot oven (180 C) for 20 minutes. I leave it to cool for a while before serving.

I serve it with cheese. Everybody loves it. No leftovers.



Parmigiana di zucca e lenticchie  

Squash and Lentil Parmigiana

300 g small brown lentils
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
200 ml tomato passata
500 ml vegetable stock
700/800 g butternut squash, halved
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
400 g fresh spinach, washed and drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved and germ removed
150 g fresh goat cheese
30 g freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Butternut Squash

• Heat the oven to 180 C, with the fan.
• Line an oven tin with parchment and arrange the squash over, dress the flesh with oil, salt and thyme. bake, cut side down, for 20 minutes. Check the pulp with a fork. You want it still crunchy. Leve to cool. Peel it and finely slice it.

Lentils

• In a pan, heat two tablespoons with oil and sauté the onion and the carrot with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes, on medium heat, stirring frequently.
• Stir in lentils and cook for 1 minute. 
• Add the tomato passata and cook for another minute.
• Add the stock and leave to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until soften but not mushy.

Spinach

• In a frying pan, heat two tablespoon of oil and sauté the garlic for one minute.
• Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
• Season with salt.

Parmigiana

• Preheat the oven to 180 C, with fan.
• Grease with oil a medium oven dish.
• Cover the bottom with the squash slices.
• Cover the squash with the lentils.
• Arrange some spinach on top of the lentils and dot with the goat cheese.
• Repeat it for three times.
• Finish the dish with the squash, dotted with the goat cheese and sprinkled with Parmesan.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a while before serving.