Preheat oven to 425ºF. Arrange the diced sweet potato and quartered shallot on a baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the oven for 20–30 minutes until very soft. Flip once midway through cooking.

Meanwhile, transfer the white beans, lemon juice, and maple syrup to the food processor and set aside.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the biquinho peppers and cook, stirring regularly for an additional 5-7 minutes until they begin to blister in spots—season with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter into the onion. Once frothy, add the lentils and toss to coat. Season again with salt and pepper. Add the chili flakes and toss to coat.

Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, occasionally stirring, for 30–40 minutes until tender. Add more water, as necessary, if the liquid in the pan reduces too quickly—taste and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the sweet potatoes to the food processor with the beans, lemon juice, and maple syrup without turning the oven off. Pulse until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. If desired, add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil—taste and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the fig halves, cut side down, to the same baking sheet used for the sweet potatoes. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes until the sugars in the figs begin to char and caramelize. Turn off the oven.

Once the lentils are tender, serve it up! Spoon the hummus onto shallow bowls, creating a few ridges with the back of your spoon for the lentils to fall into. Spoon the lentils on top of the hummus and arrange a few fig halves one each dish. Garnish with parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin oil, and more pepper flakes if you like. Enjoy!