Italian Lentils Recipe for New Year’s | How to Cook Lentils 3 Ways

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

Cover the brown lentils with an inch of water and add a bay leaf.

Cook the lentils on medium heat until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes, checking for doneness.

Mince onion, carrot, and celery together until very small, using a food processor if desired.

In a saucepan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, the minced vegetables, and a bit of water. Simmer on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Add the cooked lentils with a little of their cooking water to the saucepan and cook on low heat with the vegetables for about five minutes.

For a minestra, add more water and a potato to the lentils if not adding meat.

To make pasta and lentils, use tiny pasta shells and stir often to avoid sticking.

Add a bit of tomatoes, chili pepper, and salt to taste, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

For the sausage version, use sausage flavored with salt, pepper, garlic, and wine. Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine when the sausages are almost cooked.

Add the lentils to the sausage drippings for extra flavor.

For cotechino, boil fresh cotechino for four to five hours or follow package instructions for pre-cooked.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary