3/4 cup black or green lentils Soak for 10 minutes, then drain
6 cups butternut squash or sugar pumpkin peeled, seeded and cubed (1-inch cubes), from about a 2-pound squash
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika * See note for substitution
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 cups baby arugula I skipped this
1 cup soft crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves optional; I used this, but added it after I took a photo
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus additional to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup roasted butternut squash seeds optional; see note
Equipment
baking sheet
small pot
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss squash or pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika and salt. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Flip pieces and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Cool.
Meanwhile, soak lentils for 10 minutes in a small bowl, then drain. Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and cool.
Combine lentils, pumpkin (or squash), any oil you can scrape from the baking sheet with arugula (if using), half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper and extra vinegar, if desired.
Divide among plates and pass with remaining goat cheese to sprinkle.
Note: To toast the seeds, clean them off, rinse and pat them dry and toast them in the oven on an oiled baking sheet, sprinkled with salt. They like to pop, so drying them out for a day first may help, but it's optional.