Lenticchie giganti con Cotechino e Zampone/Giant lentils with cotechino sausage and zampone ham

In Italy, they say that if you eat lentils on New Year’s Eve, it brings good luck for the coming year, so for me, the best way to serve them is with cotechino and zampone. Let’s see if these lentils bring us luck this year!
I bought some giant Sicilian lentils, but they are prepared in the same way as traditional lentils, i.e., they are placed in a large bowl to soak in warm water and left for at least 2 hours before cooking. After this time, you will see that the lentils have doubled in size. Drain and rinse them, then place them in a pan where you have already sautéed chopped onion, carrots, and celery for 4 minutes. In a separate saucepan, cook some broth (I used bouillon cubes). In the meantime, cook the zampone and cotechino according to the instructions on the package (about 20 minutes for pre-cooked ones). After cooking the lentils for about 5 minutes, add all the broth and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a glass of wine and triple-passed tomato sauce and cook for another 15 minutes. Season with salt and then serve with sliced Zampone and Cotechino. The best way to accompany this dish is with a nice glass of rosé!

Buon Anno!! – Happy New Year!!