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Cotechino served with lentils
Festive Italian Cotechino served with stewed lentils

Traditional Cotechino with lentils

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
The Italian New Year is unimaginable without Cotechino. This special, fattier pork sausage paired with lentils symbolises abundance and wealth. The skin of the sausage (cotica) gives it its name and characteristic, sticky-collagenous texture, which becomes butter-soft when cooked slowly.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 2 hrs
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 520 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large pot
  • Frying pan for lentils

Allergen Information

⚠️ Celery
⚠️ Gluten (if the sausage contains it)

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the lentils in cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prick the sausage with a fork in several places.

Tip: Some of the fat escapes through the holes, and internal pressure is reduced.
2 ✓

Put the sausage in cold water and bring slowly to a boil. Simmer on very low heat (gently bubbling) for approx. 2 hours.

Tip: If it boils too hard, the sausage skin can harden and burst. Slow heat treatment softens the collagen.
3 ✓

Chop the onion, carrot and celery. Sauté them in the olive oil in a frying pan.

Tip: This is 'soffritto', the flavour base of Italian cuisine.
4 ✓

Add the drained lentils, pour in enough water (or stock) to cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes until tender.

Tip: Only salt the lentils at the end, otherwise the skins may stay hard.
5 ✓

Remove the cooked sausage, rest for a few minutes, then peel off the skin (if necessary/preferred) and slice into thick rounds.

Tip: Resting allows the juices to 'settle', giving you nicer slices.
6 ✓

Serve the sausage slices on the bed of lentils.

Recipe FAQ

Why do I need to prick the sausage?
So the excess fat can flow out and the skin doesn't burst from thermal expansion.

Ingredients

  • 1 pc Cotechino sausage (raw)
  • 2 l Water
  • 200 g Lentils (dried)
  • 1 pc Carrot
  • 1 stalk Celery
  • 1 pc Red onion
  • 30 ml Olive oil
  • 5 g Fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper