What is the traditional New Year’s Eve midnight meal in Italy made from lentils and cotechino sausage?

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

Cotechino is a cooked Italian pork sausage containing finely ground pork and pork rind, seasoned with spices. It is commonly served with lentils, whose small, round shape is traditionally associated with coins and future prosperity. The dish is especially linked with the midnight or New Year’s Day meal in many Italian households.

The custom reflects a broader European pattern of giving symbolic meanings to foods eaten at the turn of the year. Pork can suggest abundance or progress because pigs root forward, while lentils represent wealth because they resemble coins. These meanings are cultural traditions, not guarantees of financial success.

Cotechino con lenticchie is sometimes confused with zampone, another Italian New Year specialty. Zampone is a filled pig’s trotter, whereas cotechino is a sausage. Both may be served with lentils, but they are different products.