Lentils are a dish traditionally linked with Christmas and New Year Eve time especially if together with “cotechino” (type of Italian pork sausage). The classic way to put lentils and “cotechino” together further than with sausages is really popular, but not only in Perugia.

Ingredients (for 4/6 people)
400g lentils
8 sausages
400g puréed tomato
sage
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation method
Marinate lentils for enough time (its is different according to the lentil type), then stew them.
Perforate sausages by fork and parboil them for about 5 minutes in boiling water.
Pour and heat oil with sage into a saucepan.
Leave to season for a while, then add puréed tomato until the sauce is thickened.
Add lentils and sausages in the saucepan and leave to simmer for 15/20 minutes.
When the cooking is finished, put the saucepan in the middle of the table and serve quite hot lentils.

Variation – There was the habit to combine with lentils with sausages even “puntarelle” (strips of pork meat) after have browned in the garlic trite. This was usual in the territory of Valnerina.