Cotechino sausage with lentils / Cotechino e lenticchie

500gm Cotechino sausages
3 tbl Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and very finely sliced
200ml vegetable stock with a few saffron strands added
250gm plum tomatoes, diced
2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
175gm lentils, cooked
a handful of fresh flat-leaf, parsley, chopped
2 tbls Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive oil

Method

Soak the Cotechino sausage in warm water for 1 hour. Drain, pierce in several places with a fork and transfer to a saucepan with water to cook. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 1 ½ hours. Leave it in the hot water until ready to use.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and half the broth, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a low heat for 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, Add the sage, half the thyme sprig, and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the skin from the Cotechino sausage and roughly chop the meat into small pieces. Add to the tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the cooked lentils, lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes, adding some of the remaining vegetable broth if it becomes too thick. Season well with salt, pepper, parsley and the remaining thyme and extra virgin olive oil.

Adapted from Ursula Ferrigno's book; Trattoria, Italian Food for Family and Friends