Luciana's "Salsicce con Lenticchie" aka Sausage with Lentils Recipe

Captured by The Recipe Hunters in Italy

Before preparing the dish together Luciana sent me outside to her garden to collect celery. When I returned inside, she broke the celery in half and held it to my nose. A burst of the most fragrant, crisp, and green aroma flooded my nostrils. I must have taken a step back because Luciana began laughing and exclaimed in Italian "this is the real stuff!"

This is a perfect example of the Italian's respect and appreciation for the flavors of the raw ingredients, such as celery and onion. 

Salsicce con Lenticchie aka Sausage and Lentils is a simple, yet hearty dish full of satisfying flavors! Check out The Recipe Hunters' Recipe Below!

Luciana

• 1 kg Brown or Green Lentils

• 3 stalks of Celery

• 1/2 Yellow Onion 

• 1 large Carrot peeled

• 3 Tbsp of Tomato Paste

• 1/3 Cup Water

• 800 g Whole Peeled Tomatoes

• 340 g (.75 lbs) Pork Sausage

• Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Serves 8-10

Cooking the Lentils:

Wash the lentils in a strainer. In a large pot (big enough to hold cooked lentils, sausage and sauce), cover the lentils with 1.5 inches or 2 fingers worth of water. Cook the lentils over medium-high heat until the water boils and then decrease flame to low and cover the lentils. Stir occasionally and add more water as needed so that the they do not burn. Add salt and pepper to taste and let sit until the lentils are soft (approx 45 min).

Making the Vegetable Foundation or "Soffritto":

Grate the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add olive oil to a deep frying pan (big enough to hold the vegetables and sausage) and place over medium-low heat. Add the grated vegetables to the frying pan and let reduce, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon to ensure that the vegetables do not burn (approx 10-15 min). While the soffritto is move on to the sausage.

Combining the Ingredients:

While the soffritto is developing, remove the casing from the sausage and mash down the sausage using the back of a spoon or your hands.

Once the vegetables have turned a golden hue and the onions are translucent, add the mashed sausage. Once the sausage has browned add the tomato paste, 1/3 cup of water and stir. Puree the whole peeled tomatoes and after ten minutes, pour the whole peeled tomatoes into the stewing sausage and vegetables, and stir. Allow to stew for 25 min covered on medium-low heat. Before adding the sausage and tomato sauce to the lentils, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let sit before serving. Enjoy Luciana's Salsicce con Lenticchie, Made with Love.

Written by The Recipe Hunters:

Leila Elamine and Anthony Morano