Lentils and Cotechino

Method

1. Prick the cotechino sausage all over with toothpicks, leaving a few inserted, so it cooks evenly without touching the bottom.
2. Place the cotechino in water and simmer for 2 hours. Change the water and simmer for another 2 hours.
3. For the lentil ragù, finely chop onion, carrot, and celery (smaller than the lentils).
4. Gently sweat the soffritto in a pan.
5. Add a heaping tablespoon of tomato concentrate and the lentils (brown/green and red).
6. Add a few ladles of meat broth and a thin layer of tomato paste.
7. Add a few bay leaves, a pinch of nutmeg, and chili pepper. Do not add salt. Cook for about 1 hour.
8. To make gnocchi, mash the cooked lentils immediately to cool them. Add as little flour as possible and work the dough minimally.
9. Roll the dough into a log, cut into pieces about 1 cm, and shape using a gnocchi board (rigagnocchi).
10. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water; as soon as they float, remove them and toss gently into the lentil ragù.
11. Add a bit of young Parmigiano Reggiano to the gnocchi.
12. Serve: slice the cotechino into small pieces, crumble over the gnocchi, and garnish with crispy sage leaves.