I recently rummaged through my pantry to find Umbrian lentils to make my annual New Year’s Eve lentil soup and realized I had a surplus of lentils that needed to be used as soon as possible. Every year I bring back Umbrian produce when we return from Italy, and apparently in the last two years I have brought back more lentils than I have used! Castelluccio is the small Umbrian lentil-growing village located high in the Apennine range of central Italy.
Together with lentils, Castelluccio is famous for its annual flowering, that is, the fields of wildflowers that every year, during the first summer months, take the place of the lentil fields along the slopes of the Sibillini mountains. Unfortunately, this unique village was almost destroyed by the last earthquake that hit Umbria last year, so I’m not sure how this will affect lentil production in the future.
Lentils from this area are small beige lentils similar to French green lentils from the Puy region of France. These lentils cook quickly without becoming mushy and are great used in soups, salads or as a side dish. You can use any type of small lentil in this recipe, but stay away from larger red lentils which become soggy when cooked.
Looking back at my recipes, I decided to braise some of my hearty lentils along with some sausage and kale to create a complete one pot meal. This is a hearty dish that combined with a crunchy mixed salad of fresh greens and a loaf of crusty Italian bread is a complete meal that anyone would enjoy.
I had some spicy Italian pork sausages in the freezer that I wanted to use up, but you could use a mild Italian pork sausage or even an Italian flavored turkey sausage if you want to make the dish lighter. We loved this dish and while we were having dinner we toasted Caselluccio. It is hoped that the city will be rebuilt quickly and become a popular tourist destination again.
La Fioritura, wonderful fields of wildflowers in the lentil fields of Piano Grande.
Enjoy your meal!
Debora Mele
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons of olive oil
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1 medium onion, peeled and diced
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3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
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4 pieces medium-sized Italian sausage, meat removed from casing (see notes above)
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1 pound lentils (see notes above)
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Vegetable or chicken broth
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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Salt and pepper to taste
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1 1/2 cups kale, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sausage and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces with two forks as it cooks, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add the lentils and pour in enough broth to cover.
- Add the oregano and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add the kale and cook an additional 5 minutes or until the kale is tender.
- Serve hot with crusty Italian bread.
