Lentil Salad with Apples and Acorn Squash

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20-30 minutes

60 minutes

4 people

6 Tablespoons Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other good varietal olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups green lentils, rinsed
3 sprigs of thyme
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons chopped chives, plus more for garnishing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted,
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 medium acorn squash, scrubbed, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
1 Golden Delicious Apple, quartered, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 small head radicchio, leaves torn into small pieces
Parsley sprigs, for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Add 2 Tablespoons of the Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a large saucepan and heat. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until lightly golden, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring all the while, until fragrant. Stir in the lentils, thyme and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, (about 30 minutes).
Discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer the lentils to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of chives and remaining 1/4 cup of Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk the butter with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the squash with 5 tablespoons of the spiced butter and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the squash on 2 baking sheets and roast for 10 minutes. Using the same bowl as before, toss the apple with the remaining 1 tablespoon of spiced butter. Turn the squash pieces and add the apples to the baking sheets. Roast for about 10 minutes longer, until the squash and apples are tender and golden.
Arrange the squash, apples and radicchio on a serving platter. Spoon the lentils on top and drizzle with the Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Garnish with parsley and chives and serve.