Italian-Style Lentils with Cavolo Nero and Sausages with Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• Sea salt
• 100ml dry white wine
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 350g Puy lentils
• 1L chicken stock
• 1 bunch cavolo nero, chopped
• 6 pork sausages

Salsa verde

• 1 slice crusty white bread, crust removed, roughly torn
• Full-cream milk, for soaking
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Sea salt
• 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
• 3 anchovy fillets
• Handful of flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
• 60ml extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Cook the carrot and onion with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent.
2. Add the wine, increase heat to medium and simmer for 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the bay leaf, tomato, garlic and lentils and cover with chicken stock. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente.
4. Add the cavolo nero, stir for a minute or two, then cover and remove from the heat.
5. For the salsa verde, place the bread in a small bowl. Add just enough milk to cover the bread and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk and set aside. Finely chop the garlic. Add the salt, capers and anchovies and continue to chop.
6. Add the parsley and the bread and keep chopping until everything is nicely combined. Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon zest and juice and enough olive oil to loosen the mixture.
7. Cook the sausages in a pan until nicely browned and cooked through. Top with salsa verde and serve with the lentils.