Stew with lentils and sausage

Bring the lentils to a boil over medium-high heat in 1 ½ liters of water. You will let these boil while you continue with the rest of the recipe. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt in the water with the lentils. Once the water boils, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 min or until the lentils are completely soft. Drain the lentils. Taste and add a little extra salt if necessary. Do not overcook the lentils.

Preheat your oven at 190°C.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp of butter in another large pot over medium-high heat. Fry the sausages until browned on all sides for about 5 min or longer depending on the type of sausage you chose.

Remove the fried sausages from the pot and place them on a plate.

Melt the second tbsp of butter and add the onion, carrots, celery and green bell bell pepper. Cook for about 5 min with the lid on the pot, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Once the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, add the garlic. Stir and continue cooking for another 2 min. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir until the flour is completely absorbed by the vegetables and oil.

Add the Cubetti and the cooked lentils to the pot and stir well to mix everything together. Continue cooking for about 5 min, until the water from the tomatoes has boiled out a bit and thickened.

Cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces and add them back to the pot. Stir. Taste and add additional salt if needed. You can serve the stew at this point or choose to sprinkle your favorite grated cheese on top. In that case, grate the stew in the preheated oven for 20 min or until the cheese is melted