Cheesy Pumpkin and Lentil Bake

It’s pumpkin harvest time again! What could be tastier than sugar pumpkin baked with protein-rich lentils, tomatoes, and a cheesy topping? This is a hearty meal for a crowd! I am fond of brown Pardina lentils grown in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. These are the lentils of choice in the Mediterranean for a good reason. They have a rich, earthy flavor and hold their shape. Stock up on those sugar pumpkins now, as they will soon be gone from the market. Store them in a dry, cool, and dark place until ready to use.

I can’t resist a bit of history here. Lentils most likely went from a wild seed foraged by hunter-gatherers to a cultivated food crop over 10,000 years ago in the area historians call the Fertile Crescent (now modern-day Turkey, Iraq, and Syria). And the oldest evidence of pumpkin is fragments found in Mexico dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC. So, this recipe is a meeting of the old and new world ancient ingredients.

8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Lentils

2 cups brown lentils

6 cups filtered water  

2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 12 ounces)

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 2 ½ ounces without oil)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 cup red onions, small diced

1 ½ teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pumpkin

2 small sugar pumpkins, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1-inch slices (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons avocado oil

1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce

Cheese Layers

1 pound whole-milk ricotta

¾ cu Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 large egg, beaten

1 pound mozzarella, grated (about 4 + cups) divided

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Lentils

  1. Rinse the lentils in a colander. Put lentils in a pot and with the filtered water. Do not salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until barely tender, about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Drain and keep warm.

  2. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt for about thirty to sixty seconds. Set it aside.

  3. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes when it shimmers. Cook until soft, about four minutes. Add the lentils and tomato puree. Simmer until soft, about five minutes. Set it aside.

Pumpkin

  1. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the pumpkin slices with the oil, then place the pumpkin slices on two Silpat or parchment-lined sheet pans. Sprinkle the pumpkin with some sea salt. Place in the oven and bake until the pumpkin softens about twenty to twenty-five minutes. The pumpkin slices should be slightly soft but hold their shapes.

Cheese Layers

  1. Mix the ricotta cheese, Parmigiano, two cups of mozzarella, sage, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then blend in the egg.

  2. Cover the bottom of a nine-by-thirteen-inch casserole pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Top with half of the pumpkin slices, followed by half of the lentil mixture and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat to make another layer of tomato sauce, pumpkin slices, half of the lentil mixture, and half of the cheese mixture. Finish with the remaining mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered, until browned and bubbly on top, about thirty-five to forty minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for ten minutes before serving.

Cheesy Pumpkin and Lentil Bake

Cheesy Pumpkin and Lentil Bake
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Author:
Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 H & 40 MTotal time: 2 H & 40 M
It’s pumpkin harvest time again! What could be tastier than sugar pumpkin baked with protein-rich lentils, tomatoes, and a cheesy topping? This is a hearty meal for a crowd! I am fond of brown Pardina lentils grown in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. These are the lentils of choice in the Mediterranean for a good reason. They have a rich, earthy flavor and hold their shape. Stock up on those sugar pumpkins now, as they will soon be gone from the market. Store them in a dry, cool, and dark place until ready to use.

Ingredients

Lentils
  • 2 cups brown lentils
  • 6 cups filtered water
  • 2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 12 ounces)
  • ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 2 ½ ounces without oil)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 cup red onions, small diced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pumpkin
  • 2 small sugar pumpkins, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1-inch slices (about 3 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
Cheese Layers
  • 1 pound whole-milk ricotta
  • ¾ cu Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 pound mozzarella, grated (about 4 + cups) divided
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Lentils
  1. Rinse the lentils in a colander. Put lentils in a pot and with the filtered water. Do not salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until barely tender, about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Drain and keep warm.
  2. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt for about thirty to sixty seconds. Set it aside.
  3. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes when it shimmers. Cook until soft, about four minutes. Add the lentils and tomato puree. Simmer until soft, about five minutes. Set it aside.
Pumpkin
  1. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the pumpkin slices with the oil, then place the pumpkin slices on two Silpat or parchment-lined sheet pans. Sprinkle the pumpkin with some sea salt. Place in the oven and bake until the pumpkin softens about twenty to twenty-five minutes. The pumpkin slices should be slightly soft but hold their shapes.
Cheese Layers
  1. Mix the ricotta cheese, Parmigiano, two cups of mozzarella, sage, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then blend in the egg.
  2. Cover the bottom of a nine-by-thirteen-inch casserole pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Top with half of the pumpkin slices, followed by half of the lentil mixture and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat to make another layer of tomato sauce, pumpkin slices, half of the lentil mixture, and half of the cheese mixture. Finish with the remaining mozzarella on top. Bake uncovered, until browned and bubbly on top, about thirty-five to forty minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for ten minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

642.41

Fat (grams)

27.42 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

13.37 g

Carbs (grams)

67.07 g

Fiber (grams)

19.76 g

Net carbs

47.29 g

Sugar (grams)

19.16 g

Protein (grams)

38.4 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1158.39 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

97.02 mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

pumpkin, lentil, lasagna
entree, main dish, crowd-pleaser
American
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Linda HierholzerENTRÉESComment