What is the traditional Italian New Year’s Eve food made from lentils and cotechino sausage?

The traditional Italian New Year’s Eve dish made from lentils and cotechino sausage is called cotechino con lenticchie.

Cotechino is a cooked pork sausage associated especially with northern Italy. It is commonly served with lentils at New Year because the lentils resemble coins and are therefore linked with prosperity. The rich sausage contributes a celebratory element to the meal.

The dish is particularly connected with Modena and the surrounding Emilia-Romagna region, where cotechino is a well-known traditional food. It is usually served hot, often after a long cooking process, and lentils accompany it as a symbolic food rather than merely a side dish.

A common mix-up is substituting panettone, the sweet Milanese bread strongly associated with Christmas and winter festivities. Panettone may appear during the holiday season, but cotechino con lenticchie is the savory New Year’s prosperity dish.