Sausage and Lentils

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 37

4 Italian sausages
10 oz lentils (cleaned)
1/4 cup red wine (a dry sparkling red would work best for this but any kind does the job)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs thyme (if using dried herbs, use about 3/4 teaspoon)
1 whole bay leaf
1 large carrot
3 sticks celery
2 small shallots
3 cloves garlic (if using bottled minced garlic, about 3-4 teaspoons)
4 sprigs parsley (if using dried herbs, use about 1 teaspoon)
salt and pepper (add to taste)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Next, clean and peel the celery, carrots and shallots and cut them up into ¼-inch dices. Separate and set aside.
Peel the garlic and mince it finely then set aside.
Fill a saucepan with water and a handful of salt and let it simmer. Once it starts bubbling up, add the lentils, thyme, and bay leaf. Let it all simmer together until the lentils are soft, then drain and set aside.
In a large nonstick pan, heat half of the olive oil on a medium high heat. Add the sausages and sear until they are browned on all sides, around 5 minutes or so (don’t worry, they don’t need to be fully cooked, just crispy on the outside). Once browned, set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to the pan and add the shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery until almost tender.
Then, add the lentils and red wine and stir together. Lay the sausages on top and place in the pre-heated oven until the sausages are thoroughly cooked, about 160 degree internal temperature or about 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let it cool a little, taste and season with pepper and salt. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Enjoy!

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