Lentils and Cotechino: A New Year’s Tradition for Prosperity
Every January 1st, our family gathers around the table for our first meal of the year—lentils and cotechino. It’s a tradition lovingly upheld by Bonnie, and one that connects us to generations past and to the heart of Italian heritage.
New Year’s Lentils and Cotechino
Why Lentils?
Lentils aren’t just a hearty, comforting start to the year—they’re steeped in symbolism. In Italy, lentils are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity. Their round, coin-like shape is said to resemble tiny coins, making them a culinary symbol of wealth and abundance for the year ahead. This tradition dates all the way back to ancient Rome, when Romans would gift a small pouch of lentils to friends and family as a wish for financial luck in the new year. As the lentils cooked and expanded, so too was the hope that your fortune would grow.
Lentils & Cotechino
Ingredients
- Soffrito
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3.5 oz Prosciutto, Diced
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0.5 ea Sweet Onion, Medium
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1 ea Carrot
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1 ea Celery Stalk
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3 ea Garlic Cloves
- Brasing Liquid
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1.5 cups Lentils, Umbrian
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16 oz Chicken Stock
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TT Salt
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TT Pepper, Black
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TT Red Pepper Flakes
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3 oz Olive oil
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8 oz White Wine
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2 ea Bay Leaves
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1 ea Rosemary
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1 ea Thyme
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2 Tbls Oregano
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1 piece Parmigiano reggiano rind
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1 ea Cotechino
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2 Tbls Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in water for 3 hours.
- Prepare the Soffrito
- Wash the celery, carrotts then peel carrots.
- Dice the carrots, onion, celery, and prosciutto.
- In a 3-qt pot, brown the prosciutto with a bit of olive oil.
- Once the fat is rendered from the prosciutto and crisps up, add the carrots, celery, and onion.
- On medium heat, continue to cook the soffritto till the vegetables begin to soften.
- Wrap the herbs into a bundle and tie with twine. Add the herb bundle to the soffrito with the garlic and cook for about 3 more minutes.
- Strain the water off the lentils and add to the soffrito.
- Add the chicken stock and parmesan rind and turn the flame to low/medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cotechino from the packet and place in the pot with all the pork fat in the package and cook for another 30 min.
- After 30 min, shut the heat off and remove the cotechino from the pot and let it rest on a wire rack for 10min.
- Slice the cotechino into 1/2 inch slices.
- In a hot saute pan with a bit of oil, brown the sliced cotechino on both sides.
- Plate up with a spoonful of lentils and three slices of cotechino. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and parsley.
Notes
• Season lightly; the sausage can be salty. So add a little to the soffrito and then adjust at the end.
• If your cheese department at the grocery store portions cheese in-house, you can often buy rind from them. Or click on the link.
• After the cotechino cooks in the lentils, remove it from the fire and let it rest out of the pot for 10 min so you can slice it.
• Browning the cotechino is optional, but a step we recommend.
The Cotechino Connection
Paired with cotechino—a rich, savory pork sausage—this dish becomes even more celebratory. Cotechino is slow-cooked until meltingly tender, its flavors infusing the lentils with warmth and depth. Pork itself is considered a symbol of progress in Italian culture, as pigs root forward, never backward—a fitting metaphor for stepping into a new year with hope and momentum.
A Family Tradition
For us, this meal is more than just food. It’s a moment to gather, reflect, and set intentions for the months ahead. Each spoonful of lentils is a wish for prosperity, each bite of cotechino a reminder to savor the journey. Whether you’re Italian by blood or simply in spirit, this is a tradition worth bringing to your own table.
