← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 1 precooked cotechino (about 500 g)
• 300 g small brown lentils (Castelluccio if possible)
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 l hot vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Cook the cotechino as the packet says: usually it simmers, still in its foil pouch, in a pan of water for 20–30 min.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils. Warm the oil in a pan over medium heat and soften the onion, carrot and celery for 8 min.
3. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then add the lentils, bay leaf and enough stock to cover them by 2 cm.
4. Simmer gently for 30–35 min, adding more stock as needed, until the lentils are tender but still whole and the mixture is thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Open the cotechino pouch, drain off the fat and cut the sausage into thick slices.
6. Spoon the lentils onto a warm platter, lay the cotechino slices on top and serve.

Tips

• Zampone (the same filling in a pig’s trotter) can be cooked and served exactly the same way.
• Many cotechini are gluten-free but check the label; stock cubes can contain gluten too.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Memorie di Angelina Christina’s Cucina GialloZafferano