Puff pastries with lentil cream and cotechino

Name: Puff pastries with lentil cream and cotechino
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Crispy baked puff pastry 12; Lentils of Castelluccio di Norcia, boiled naturally, 60 g; Salt to taste; Pepper to taste; Cotechino pre-cooked in a bag, 100 g; Rosemary 2-3 sprigs; Onions 1/2 red; Carrots 1/2 carrot; Celery 1 stalk; Olive oil extra virgin olive oil as needed

it fr es

Calories per serving

Energy Kcal 92
Carbohydrates g 9.2
of which sugars g 1
Protein g 3.1
Fats g 4.8
of which saturated fat g 1.13
Fiber g 0.8
Cholesterol mg 8
Sodium mg 285

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Makes: 12 pieces
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Sfoglie con crema di lenticchie e cotechino is something you’ll really, really want to try if you ever find yourself in Northern Italy. This dish is a total favorite during the festive winter months. I mean, it's a twist on the classic cotechino con lenticchie—you know, the dish everyone loves for good luck—and it's turned into these fun, bite-sized treats. Instead of big slices, you get creamy lentils and tender cotechino mashed together, spread over flaky pastry or crunchy bread. Really good stuff.

It's simple, no-fuss, yet packed with flavors that are anything but boring. The savory, moist cotechino blends perfectly with the lentils, making it just right for a chilly night. Every bite gives you a rich, slightly salty flavor. Perfect for an appetizer when you’re tired of the usual cheese and salami platters. And the thing is, in Northern Italy, cotechino ricette are a winter staple. Pretty much.

You'll see cotechino in crosta on a lot of holiday tables, but this version? It's lighter, and it really shows off both ingredients. The lentil cream is super smooth, and when you pair it with those crispy pastry pieces, it’s fun and traditional. Seriously good. Perfect for parties or as a quick starter when hanging out with friends. It’s a refreshing change from heavier dishes.

People often use different types of bread or puff pastry, which is great because it lets you customize it just the way you like. Plus, with the cotechino e lenticchie tradizione, you get that festive Italian New Year’s vibe. Altogether, this dish is a fantastic choice when you want something seasonal, warm, and full of Italian flavor, but with a modern twist. It's not just food—it’s a little taste of Italian culture bringing folks together, one flavorful bite at a time. For sure.

INGREDIENTS

Calories per serving

Ingredients for 12 pastries: Crispy baked puff pastry 12; Lentils - of Castelluccio di Norcia, boiled naturally, 60 g; Salt to taste; Pepper to taste; Cotechino - pre-cooked in a bag, 100 g; Rosemary - 2-3 sprigs

Ingredients for the sauté: Onions - 1/2 red; Carrots - 1/2 carrot; Celery - 1 stalk; Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil as needed

Preparation

How to prepare Puff pastries with lentil cream and cotechino

To prepare the puff pastries with lentil cream and cotechino, start by cooking the cotechino for twenty minutes in boiling water. Meanwhile, prepare the sauté: wash, clean, and finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery 1, then sauté them in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, stirring occasionally 2 (for more details on how to prepare the sauté, you can check the cooking school card How to make the soffritto). Take the lentils, drain them well using a strainer 3,

then add them to the sauté 4: they should brown for about 10 minutes. When the cotechino is ready, remove it from the package, (completely draining the gelatinous liquid that forms inside) 5 and let it cool. At this point, peel the cotechino with the help of a knife, coarsely chop it and put it in a mixer 6.

When the lentils are also ready, add them to the mixer 7, keeping a tablespoon aside for the final garnish, and blend everything until you obtain a creamy mixture. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag equipped with a star nozzle and squeeze a dollop on each pastry 8, finally garnish each pastry with a few lentils, using a teaspoon 9. The puff pastries with lentil cream and cotechino are ready, serve them and enjoy them immediately.