Christmas has been very wet and on a damp misty evening Bagni di Lucca twinkled. New Year’s Eve at midnight and also on New Year’s day is when Italians eat lentils, sometimes but not always with cotechino, a traditional coarse sausage. Why do they do it? To wish themselves financial luck in the coming year: lentils look like coins. There are many recipes but this one made with tomatoes, garlic, sage and rosemary was what Enzo’s mother used to cook. This dish never had a name so we called it Lenticchie of 31st of December. This dish is so good that we cook it all through the year.
NEW YEAR’S EVE LENTILS
(Serves 4 as a side dish)
Ingredients:
1 cup (190 gr) Lentils
1 tin (400 gr/14 oz) of peeled/diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, crushed, no skin
2 small twigs of rosemary
10 to 15 sage leaves
3 tbsp EV Olive oil
Salt to season
Flat parsley to decorate
Rinse the lentils and put them in a saucepan filled with abundant water. Place a lid on the top and
bring it to a boil, turn the heat down and then continue boiling the lentils for 25 min or according to the recommended cooking time. Halfway through season with a couple of coffee spoons of salt.
In the meantime in a shallow pan pour the EV Olive oil and add the crushed garlic cloves and when it starts sizzling add the rosemary and the sage
When the sage leaves have softened, add the tomatoes and cook them while the lentils are getting ready. Remove the rosemary twigs. If the sauce gets too dry add some water.
Drain the lentils and add them to the tomato sauce. Amalgamate and cook for another 4 to 5 min. Add more seasoning if necessary.
Serve and decorate with the parsley