Zuppa di lenticchie

Name: Zuppa di lenticchie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 350 g Castelluccio lentils (or Puy lentils), rinsed; 200 g Italian pork sausages, casings removed; 100 g pancetta or smoked bacon, diced; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 2 stalks celery, finely diced; 1 medium carrot, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 400 g canned plum tomatoes, roughly crushed; 1 litre good chicken or vegetable stock; 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 piece Parmesan rind (optional but excellent); 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, to finish

Italy's lentil and sausage soup: built on the extraordinary Castelluccio lentils of Umbria and a deep soffritto of celery, carrot, and pancetta

Origin: Italy

From the journey of Lentils.

Italy produces some of the world's most prized lentils: the tiny, thin-skinned lentils of Castelluccio di Norcia on the Umbrian plateau, grown at 1400 metres above sea level on volcanic soil. They have a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and are uniquely delicate, requiring no soaking and cooking to a buttery tenderness in under 30 minutes. This soup; built on the classic Umbrian combination of lentils, sausage, and rosemary; is the dish of the central Italian autumn and winter. It is also the traditional New Year's Eve dish across Italy: lentils are said to bring money in the new year, as their round shape resembles coins.

Ingredients

Base

350 g Castelluccio lentils (or Puy lentils), rinsed
400 g canned plum tomatoes, roughly crushed
1 litre good chicken or vegetable stock

Meat

200 g Italian pork sausages, casings removed
100 g pancetta or smoked bacon, diced

Soffritto

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Herbs

2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves

For cooking

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Flavour

1 piece Parmesan rind (optional but excellent)

Finish

60 ml extra virgin olive oil, to finish

Method

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add the pancetta and fry over medium heat for 4 minutes until the fat renders. Add the sausage meat in small pieces and brown all over, breaking it up with a spoon. Remove the meat and set aside.
In the same pot, add the onion, celery, and carrot (the soffritto). Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until completely soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and rosemary; cook 2 minutes more.
Return the meat to the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the lentils, stock, bay leaves, and Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 30–35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and Parmesan rind. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Ladle into bowls. Finish each bowl with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty Umbrian bread.

Notes

In Italy, eating lentils at midnight on New Year's Eve (Capodanno) is a national tradition: the lentils represent coins and promise financial abundance in the coming year. Cotechino (a soft, fatty pork sausage) with lentils is the classic pairing. Castelluccio lentils are worth sourcing: their skin is so thin they cook without soaking and their flavour is far superior to standard green lentils.

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control