What Italian lentil dish is traditionally eaten for prosperity at New Year's Eve celebrations?

The Italian dish traditionally eaten for prosperity at New Year's Eve celebrations is cotechino con lenticchie, sausage served with lentils.

Cotechino is a cooked pork sausage associated especially with northern Italy, including Modena. It is made from pork ingredients such as rind, meat, and fat, seasoned and packed into a casing before being slowly cooked. It is commonly served with lentils, which are thought to resemble coins and therefore symbolize wealth and financial abundance.

The pairing is especially associated with the Italian New Year, when families eat it around the turn of the year or on New Year's Day. The dish is hearty and practical for winter celebrations, but its symbolic meaning is as important as its flavor.

Cotechino should not be confused with zampone, another traditional Italian New Year pork preparation. Zampone is a stuffed pig's trotter, whereas cotechino is a sausage. Both are often accompanied by lentils.