Ciao Bellos & Bellas!
Today I present you with a recipe I call Salsicce con Lenticchie Lorenzo, aka Sausage and Lentils Lorenzo (after my Pop.) It is easily, and often, made vegetarian. I created this recipe after being asked to contribute one, plus an interview, to my friends at Flourist for their Blog a few years back. Try it, share it, sign-up for my monthly recipe but most importantly always remember to #EatwiththoseyouLove TM
Peter aka Pasta Boy
PS – Public Cooking Classes are back Vancouver! Follow this link to book a spot in my Fresh Pasta Class, on February 13th, at Kitsilano Community Centre. All bookings must be done through the provided Vancouver Parks and Recreation link, but contact me for Gift Certificates.
I grew up eating Legumes. As the child of Italian Immigrants it was part of our diet. Chickpeas, lentils beans etc… My recipe is inspired by the Lentils and Cotechino Sausage dish that my Pop always told me about as a kid. It is lentils with a type of rich home-made sausage. If you leave out the sausage it makes a great Vegan dis as well. It was eaten at the New Year for good luck and to bring wealth. I hope it works! My Dad always said it was a dish for the rich.
I never made it until I started cooking at Savio Volpe. Chef Mark Perrier (Carlino Restaurant) was kind enough to send some Cotecchino Sausage we had made home to my Dad for his Birthday, and we had it with Lentils! He was over the moon. My Dad’s stories, my Mom’s preparations and Chef Mark’s dish are all the inspirations for this dish. The idea for Salsa Verde, to finish the dish, came from a conversation I had with then Chef Derek Gray (Row Fourteen Restaurant) and Chef Jian Hui Cheng (Nancy Go Yaya). I wanted to brighten the flavours of the dish and they threw out a variety of ideas. I went away, thought about it & after playing around a bit I came up with the pairing of salsa Verde. I love how collaboration can spark answers. Buon Appetito!
Salsicce con Lenticchie Lorenzo, aka Sausage and Lentils Lorenzo (after my Pop)
As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/topics/food-safety.html
Time: Approximately 1 hour
Feeds 4
Ingredients (Other than the Lentils and the Tomatoes everything is to taste. Use what you have and cook like a Nonna!):
1 cup of dry French Lentils (feel free to use whatever lentils you have. You’ll need about 2 to 3 cans to equal this amount of dry lentils.)
2 Carrots cut into small cubes (The technical term for that is a dice but just get as close as you can to that. Don’t stress it!)
3 Stalks of Celery cut into small cubes (See above)
1 Onion cut into small cubes
4 Cloves of Garlic minced (that’s a fine chop. You can use a garlic press too. The finer it is the better)
1 clove of Garlic and 1 bay leaf for boiling lentils.
1 Jar of Passata (Pureed Italian Tomato’s that have been passed through a sieve. Available everywhere)
1 Cup of parsley finely chopped
4 links of your favorite mild Italian Sausage. You can substitute other types of sausage as you wish or make this a vegan dish.
Olive Oil
Salt (Kosher preferred)
Pepper
White Wine Vinegar (It’s ok to substitute Red wine, cider, rice or white vinegar for this.)
Directions:
I cook like a Nonna (Grandmother in Italian) so I will guide you through this recipe but feel free to play and enjoy the process of cooking. As crazy as it sounds this style of traditional cooking is how I ended up cooking at Savio Volpe. Have Fun!
Get out a large Sautee pan. That is a large pan with deep sides. You could also use an enameled Dutch oven or larger boiling pot. Also grab a ladle and a wooden spoon.
Get the pan hot. Medium High Heat.
Add 1 TBSP of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) wait 30 seconds for it to heat up.
Salt the pan with a pinch of Salt. Do it from above the pan and salt evenly across all the oil.
Add your 4 links of sausage. Allow to brown, turning so each side becomes brown and there is a nice sticky patch of caramelized goodness on the bottom of the pan.
Boil 3 cups of water with a garlic clove and bay leaf in it
Add 1 cup of French Lentils to the boiling water (You can use all varieties of lentils for this recipe. Choose your favorite!)
Set a timer for 10 minutes. You will check your lentils then. You want them to be almost cooked. Think of it like pasta, you want them cooked but firm. Al Dente! When you think they’re almost there, like five minutes away, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat. This will allow them to continue cooking without over cooking which is when lentils become mushy. Taste again after five minutes and if they need another minute return them to the heat and cook for the last minute. (We use timers all the time in professional kitchens)
When your lentils are cooked, drain them and lay them on a tray tossing them with EVOO and salt. This keeps them from sticking, seasons them and helps stop them from overcooking.
Now that your sausages are browned on all sides, remove them to a plate. If there is a lot of fat keep 2 TBSP and drain off the rest. Turn the pan down to a medium low heat.
Add your diced vegies and garlic to the sausage pan. Coat them in the fat and scrape up all those tasty brown bits from the bottom. Add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
You want to gently cook your veggies, or Soffritto in Italian, until they start to sweat and become a bit translucent. When they just start to go brown add your jar of passatta.
Allow your sauce to cook, stirring every few minutes so it does not stick.
Slice your sausages into bite size pieces. Don’t worry if it is still pink because as soon as your sauce begins to bubble add the sausages into the sauce and stir. Add a little extra cracked black pepper. Let it cook down for 15 minutes, while remembering to stir every few minutes.
Now we’re going to make Salsa Verde, green sauce, which you will finish your dish with. Finely mince two cloves of garlic, add them & a quarter cup of your parsley to a bowl. Add a pinch of salt as well as cracked pepper & then mix. Now add 6 TBSP of white wine vinegar and another 6 TBSP of EVOO. Mix them until they’re a rough sauce. You will use this to drizzle on the dish as you plate the lentils. It will lighten up the rich sauce and bring out all the flavours. You can make it even punchier by adding capers and anchovies, but then reduce the salt.
Your sauce should have cooked down now to about half the volume you started with. Add your lentils, a ½ cup of your parsley, and a 1/5 cup of white wine vinegar. Stir together and let cook for the last 5 minutes.
That’s it. Taste it to see if you need a touch more salt and pepper and plate it in shallow bowls. Then drizzle some of your Salsa Verde on top and finish with fresh parsley.
Eat it with a simple cabbage salad, nice bread and a good bottle of Italian wine! Please do share, comment, like, sign-up for my monthly recipe & most importantly always #EatwiththoseyouLove TM
By Peter Ciuffa
Copyright 2022 Peter Ciuffa of Pasta Boy Peter Inc.
Photo Courtesy of Flourist