Pastry Baskets with Cotechino and Lentils are not only very tasty but also very nice to bring to the table. A different way to present the usual cotechino with lentils, especially if you have guests. The crispiness of the puff pastry goes really well with this dish. It’s hard to eat a large quantity because after the New Year’s Eve dinner, desserts included, you’re already really full: so I find these single portions are really fantastic and just right.
For the procedure, I made a small video, which you can watch on the pages of Facebook Instagram and Pinterest
Here are the links for some recipes that are ideal for New Year’s Eve dinner:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12 baskets
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients
- 1 package of pre-cooked canned lentils
- 14 oz canned tomato pulp
- 1 package rectangular puff pastry
- 1 carrot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 pre-cooked cotechino
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 12 Baking Cups
How to Prepare Pastry Baskets with Cotechino and Lentils
To prepare the Pastry Baskets with Cotechino and Lentils, organize your workspace with all the ingredients already measured.
This way you will have everything at hand, and your work will definitely be easier and faster.
Start by cooking the pre-cooked cotechino, following the instructions on the package, and let it cool.
In a large pot, sauté the carrot, celery, and garlic, all chopped into small pieces.
When they are just golden, add the lentils previously drained and let them flavor but only for a few seconds.
Add the tomato, a pinch of salt, and water, as much as fits in the can.
Cover with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for about 40 minutes.
At this point, cut the cotechino into chunks and add it to the lentil sauce.
Let it cook for another 40 minutes, or until the mixture has lost a good part of the liquid.
In the meantime, prepare the puff pastry baskets: divide the rectangular pastry into 12 squares.
Place each square on the back of the baking cups, but make sure they are metal ones.
Pierce them with a fork, and bake them in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes.
Once cooked, let them cool, place them on a serving tray, and fill them with the hot cotechino and lentils.
Serve your Pastry Baskets with Cotechino and Lentils immediately for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
You can prepare the cotechino with lentils at least a day in advance, and the puff pastry baskets a few hours before.
If you wish, you can also freeze the sauce, in case you have leftovers, or rather prepare it many days in advance.
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