Baked Lentil Marinara Spaghetti Squash

Make sure the green lentils are soaked and rinsed appropriately.

Peel the garlic.

Roughly chop the onion.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Slice Spaghetti Squash (1) in half lengthwise, remove seeds and add to baking sheet, with the skin down and flesh facing up.

Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until you can use a fork to pull the flesh apart and it resembles noodles.

While the squash is cooking, add Green Lentils (1 cup) and two cups water to sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, add Canned Diced Tomatoes (1 3/4 cups), Tomato Paste (1/2 cup), Red Onion (1/2 cup), Garlic (1 clove), Dried Parsley (1 tsp), Dried Oregano (1 tsp), Italian Seasoning (1 tsp), Smoked Paprika (1 tsp), Sea Salt (1/2 tsp), Ground Black Pepper (1/4 tsp) and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1/8 tsp) to NutriBullet or food processor, blend on high 25-30 seconds, or until ingredients are well combined and a thick sauce is formed.

Once the lentils have cooked, remove any excess water if needed, then add the sauce to lentils and stir until well combined.

Layer spaghetti squash into 9x13 pan (or equivalent), then top with lentil and sauce mixture, followed by Romano Cheese (2/3 cup) and Fresh Parsley (to taste).

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with additional Romano cheese and parsley if desired. Then serve and enjoy hot!