Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 900 g cotechino
- 1 onion
- 1 celery
- 3 g parsley, sprigs
- 1 carrot
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 black peppercorns
- 3 g thyme, sprigs
Garnish
- 5 g parsley, minced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 418 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 2824 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 276 mg
- Calcium
- 12 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Phosphorus
- 133 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 69 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 19 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 30 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pierce the sausage casings in several places with a fork to prevent them from bursting.
Place the cotechino, onion, celery, parsley sprigs, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme into a large stockpot.
Add enough cold water to the pot to completely cover the sausages.
Bring the water to a boil (100°C/212°F) over high heat.
Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour.
Turn off the heat and let the sausages cool slightly while remaining in the cooking liquid.
Remove the sausages from the liquid and discard the aromatics.
Garnish with minced fresh parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- This dish is traditionally served alongside lentils to symbolize prosperity for the new year.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in the cooking liquid to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze without liquid in an airtight container.
Reheating: Simmer gently in the original cooking liquid until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Sausage casing bursts
Cause: Insufficient piercing of the skin or the water was boiling too aggressively.
Fix: Cannot be fixed; slice the sausage before serving to hide the tear.
Prevention: Ensure the casing is pierced thoroughly and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
Cultural Context
Cotechino with lentils is a mandatory New Year's Eve dish in Italy, representing wealth and good fortune.
