Italian Sausage and Lentils is a hearty and rustic recipe that comes together quickly. Simple yet elegant, this Italian recipe is a great one-pot meal that will fill you up without weighing you down.
If you are looking for a simple, inexpensive, and healthy recipe, then this is it!
Italian Sausage and Lentils is tasty and fast recipe to make with only a couple minutes of prep time. Also, you can chop the veggies ahead and see how quickly this dish comes together.
I like to serve this dish with a loaf of crusty bread and a simple side salad. If you love simple and healthy Italian recipes, be sure to try Turkey Spinach Manicotti, or my lightened-up Italian Turkey Lasagna. And for a true classic Italian pasta, don’t miss my Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta or my Sausage Kale Pasta!
What Lentils work best?
There are many varieties of lentils out there which are all distinguishable by their color: red, green, black, and many shades in between.
Lentils are a nutritious plant protein that are low in fat and high in protein, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. They are great to cook with because they add bulk to dishes without extra fat.
For this recipe, I recommend using either black or brown lentils. Black lentils tend to be the most flavorful, however they are not easy to find. Brown lentils are the most commonly available lentil and you can always find them in the grocery store.
Brown lentils will hold their shape without getting mushy. Save the red or yellow lentils for Indian dishes; they tend to work better there.
Italian Sausage and Lentils Recipe
This simple recipe is easy to put together and it a great one-pot dinner! That means less mess and you can serve right out of your dutch oven.
Firstly, heat some olive oil and brown the sausages. Browning the sausages gives them great texture and adds so much flavor to the pan. Here, you are not cooking them through, but instead just getting some color on them.
Then, remove the sausages from pot and add in the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook just to soften the vegetables; about 5 minutes.
Then, add in the lentils and stir for about a minute in the vegetable mixture. Pour in the red wine, canned diced tomatoes, and broth, and sprinkle on the seasonings. I like to use vegetable broth for this recipe, but chicken broth works fine too.
Bring the mixture to a low boil and reduce to simmer. Add the sausages back to the pot and press to cover with the broth. Place a lid on the pot and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente.
Lastly, remove the sausages from the pot and add in the chopped parsley.
To serve, spoon the lentils on to a large platter and place the sausages on top. Or, you can slice the sausages and mix them into the lentils.
I like to serve this dish with a side of crust Italian bread. Moreover, is a recipe that makes great leftovers and heats up great the next day. It’s ideal if you are looking for something that’s filling without being heavy.
More Easy Italian Meals
If you love simple Italian food, be sure to check out these quick and delicious recipes:
Cheese and Beef Stuffed Shells
Hope you love all of these recipes. Be sure to comment if you try them. Enjoy!
Italian Sausage and Lentils
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 links Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups lentils (brown or green lentils)
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add in sausages and cook just until browned (they will not be cooked through at this point.) Remove sausages from pot and set aside.
- To the pot, add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils and red wine, and cook for a minute. Pour in the canned tomatoes, broth, oregano, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add back in the sausages, pressing into the lentils. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until lentils are al dente, about 30 minutes.
- Remove cooked sausages from pot. Stir in parsley. Serve lentils in a bowl with a link of sausage on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Wasn’t as soupy as I thought but is delicious. Only used 1 pound of lentils also.
Am I supposed to drain the lentils or tomatoes before dumping in the pot?
no you’re not 🙂
I cooked this yesterday for my Mom, my sister and myself. Everybody loved it, and my sister called today to get the recipe
Made this this afternoon using 1lb bulk, spicy, Italian sausage. Pretty much followed the recipe otherwise. It is absolutely wonderful! We ate it with an arugula, pear salad and fresh bread. Awesome!
Excellent recipe and easy too!
I subbed in beef broth (didn’t have chicken or vegetable) and I put a bit more herbs in (basil, thyme, and oregano).
I also didn’t have the lentils suggested so I used French green lentils and wow. Adding this into my monthly dinner plans!
Thanks for the comment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I am using beef broth as well. I felt it would give it more of a hearty flavor.
Made a vegetarian version with Impossible meat, turned out great!
Hi Angela:
Can any other kind of legume be used instead of lentils?
Hi Paul. I’d stick with lentils if possible. Any other legume would take too long to cook.
So easy to prepare and simply delicious!
Thanks for the comment. I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
Thanks for this great recipe. I grew up eating Lenticchie con salsiccia, but once Nonna passed, this recipe was forgotten, I’ve tried others, but this is by far the closest tasting to the one I remember.
Gave this a try for dinner last night, and it did not disappoint! Easily, a my new favorite dinner recipe; the whole family loved it!
So happy you loved it!
I’ve been trying to eat lentils more often lately and this recipe with Italian sausage was such a good combo!
Sausage and lentils is the combo I don’t cook very often but when I do – the flavors go through the roof. Love this recipe!
I’m always looking for an easy, yet filling recipe and this one fit the bill perfectly! I ended up using Applegate chicken sausage to make it a little leaner, but it still turned out delicious.
We enjoyed this meal so much! it’s hearty and filling and inexpensive too. Great recipe, will definitely be added to our menu rotation.
So happy you loved it!