- Put the lentils in a bowl, add water to cover, and let soak for several hours or overnight. Drain.
- Place the lentils in a soup pot, add 2 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until very soft, about 6 minutes. Remove to a dish.
- In the same skillet, cook the sausage, turning frequently, until nicely browned. Remove the sausage to paper towels to drain, then place in another dish and cover to keep warm.
- Discard the fat in skillet. Return the vegetables to the skillet, and add the tomato sauce, lentils, and bay leaf. Cook over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Season with salt, and remove from the heat.
- Cut the sausage into pieces. Pour the lentil mixture into the center of a serving platter, arrange the sausages around it, and serve immediately.
- This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
- Comments: For Capodanno (New Year's Day), it is traditional to eat lentils and zampone, pork sausage stuffed into the skin of a pig's foot. Here I use natural hog casings because they are more readily available. Because they resemble tiny coins, lentils are eaten as a symbol of good luck for the coming year.
Notes:
Recipe from "Celebrations Italian Style" by Mary A. Esposito, (Morrow Cookbooks, 1995) |
