Italian Sausages and Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) Umbrian Castelluccio lentils ((or use dried puy lentils))
• 6 Italian Sausages ((about 490g))
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery stick
• 1 medium onion
• 1 clove Garlic (whole, peeled)
• ¼ cup (60ml) Italian white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 cup (260g) Passata (tomato puree US)
• 3 cups (700ml) water
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Steps

1. 1

   Castelluccio lentils do not need prior soaking but you do need to rinse them until cold running water for a few seconds. If you are using other lentils make sure to check the packet instructions just in case they do need to be soaked first.

2. 2

   Finely chop the vegetables so you have roughly the same amount of each and cut roughly the same size. Peel the garlic clove but keep it whole.

3. 3

   Cut each Italian sausage into 3 chunks. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pot on a medium heat and brown the sausages (don’t cook them all the way through). Remove them and set aside on a plate.

4. 4

   Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil the the pot and saute the chopped vegetables and garlic until soft. Do this on a medium-low heat making sure the vegetables soften but don’t brown.

5. 5

   Once softened, add a small pinch of salt to the vegetables then add the sausages back to the pot.

6. 6

   Add the wine and let the wine simmer until it has reduced by half then add the rinsed lentils, passata, water and the bay leaf and rosemary sprig.

7. 7

   Bring the pot to a simmer then turn it down low and let it simmer uncovered for 35 minutes. Finish with some freshly ground black pepper and serve.