Cotechino and lentils: how to prepare it perfectly.
Cotechino and lentils is a dish that traditionally cannot be missing on New Year’s Eve, today I’ll explain how to prepare it perfectly, with tasty lentils and well-cooked cotechino.
For this recipe, you can use either pre-cooked or fresh cotechino from the butcher. The pre-cooked one weighs 500 g and is perfect for 4 people, the butcher’s one about 800 g.
As mentioned, cotechino and lentils is a traditional dish prepared for New Year’s Eve. A popular legend says lentils bring good luck and money, and the more you eat them on New Year’s, the more fortune you’ll have. Legend or not, I love cotechino and lentils and sometimes prepare it for dinner during winter 🙂 Now let’s find out how to prepare it well 🙂
Also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cotechino (either pre-cooked or fresh is fine)
- 350 g lentils
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 fl oz tomato puree
Tools
- 1 High-sided saucepan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Tray
- 1 Wooden Spoon
Steps
You can prepare either the pre-cooked cotechino found packaged in supermarkets or the fresh one from your butcher.
For cooking the packaged one, follow the instructions on the package; usually, it is placed in a saucepan with cold water and cooks for 15 minutes once boiling.
The cooking of the one bought at the butcher’s is much longer; here’s how to do it:
Poke holes here and there on the cotechino with a large needle (it needs to be pricked), place the cotechino in a large saucepan, cover it abundantly with cold water (the water should be at least 2 inches above the cotechino), cover with a lid and bring to a boil, once boiling, transfer it to the smallest burner you have, lower the flame to the minimum and cook for 2 hours.
Rinse the lentils and place them in a large steel saucepan, cover with plenty of water, add a celery stalk, and cook for about 30 minutes from boiling, they should be cooked but not mushy (stir occasionally with a wooden spoon during cooking).
While the lentils are boiling, prepare the sauté.
Wash and peel the carrot and onion, chop both very finely.
Lightly peel the celery and chop it.
In a pot (I use a clay one) add some oil and lightly sauté the onion, celery, and carrot mixture, as soon as the onion becomes transparent add the tomato puree and let it flavor for a moment.
Also add the lentils with some of their cooking water, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 10/15 minutes, adding a little of the lentils’ cooking water if needed.
As soon as the cotechino is cooked, turn off the heat and leave it for 10 minutes in the cooking water.
Place the lentils on a serving platter.
After 10 minutes, remove the skin from the cotechino and place it on the platter over the lentils, serve immediately cut into slices while hot.
Cotechino with lentils is ready to be enjoyed… Enjoy your meal! Also try the cotechino in crust, you can find the recipe CLICKING HERE.
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