A delicious Italian Classic to ring in the New Year. Lentils are a sign of good luck for the New Year and these stewed Italian Lentils are so delicious, filled with vegetables, and easy to make! Make this side dish for good luck this year!

Looking for more easy Italian side dishes? Try our Eggplant Caponata,Grilled Zucchini alla Scapece, Stewed Italian Broad Beans (Fava Beans), or Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan).

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Italian Lentils for the New Year

Some believe that it can bring you a year of good fortune to have lentils on New Year's Day. There's some ancient Roman lore that lentils in leather purses were given to friends as a gift for good luck. The lentils looked somewhat like ancient Roman coins.

I think for me, I've usually eaten like a cafone for the past two months and this Italian Lentils dish is a great way for me to soak in some vegetables and have a nice healthy meal. On New Year's Day, I also might make White Bean Lentil Soup or Sausage and Lentil Soup to enjoy lentils in a heartier meal than this side dish.

This side dish is perfect to serve with Italian Chicken Cutletsor Chicken Rollatini. It's filling, easy to make, and filled with vegetables. It's not just a New Year good luck charm but also a wonderfully easy side dish to shake it up from potatoes or rice!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Lentils. I use green lentils for my recipe, but you could also use brown/red lentils. Green lentils are slightly nuttier, while red can be sweeter, and brown are just milder.
Red Wine. I use a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. I like to use a bolder wine to add more flavor to the dish. I would avoid wines like Pinot Noir.
Tomato Paste. I like to add a bit of tomato paste directly to the pan to caramelize, to add a slightly sweet tomato flavor to the dish
Vegetables. I use carrots, onions, and celery, but you could add or substitute mushrooms, zucchini, or chopped escarole. Simple dishes like lentils or Escarole and Bean Soup are classic Italian dishes with just a few simple ingredients.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Italian Lentils

I love these stewed Italian Lentils because you can make it in the morning and have it sit on low on the stove for a few hours. Add a little chicken broth here and there and you can enjoy this throughout the day. We usually enjoy these for lunch with some Cast Iron Chicken Breastor a grilled cheese like our Gruyere Grilled Cheeseor Eggplant Caprese Grilled Cheese

Carrots, onion, and celery sauteing in a saucepan.

Step 1: Place a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, stir in the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute for 8 minutes, until softened.

Tomato paste caramelizing in a saucepan.

Step 2: Add the tomato paste to the saucepan in a place where it directly touches the pan. Let it sit for 2 minutes to caramelize in the pan. This will cook the paste and allow for more depth of flavor.

Tomato paste combined with vegetables in saucepan.

Step 3: Then stir the tomato paste through the vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes.

Dry lentils added to sauce pan and combined.

Step 4: Stir in the lentils and coat well with the mixture.

Step 5: Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the red wine is completely absorbed.

Chicken broth and bay leaf added to the saucepan.

Step 6: Add the chicken broth and the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and bring to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Lentils simmered and softened in sauce pan.

Step 7: Remove the lentils from the heat and serve with crunchy Italian bread for dipping.

Italian lentils are a delicious, hearty side dish I love to serve with lunch or dinner. Lentils can be a great way to break up the week if you make the same starches over and over again.

Pro-Tips

Saute the vegetables until soft before adding the lentils to bring out the most flavor in the dish by allowing the natural sugars to caramelize.
Caramelize the tomato paste to the pan by placing it directly touching the pan for a more intense flavor.
Let the lentils soak up the wine completely before adding the broth to concentrate the flavor into the lentils and reduce any bitterness.
Always serve with bread to soak up the extra sauce.

Cooked lentils in a bowl next to saucepan of lentils.

Recipe FAQs

Why do Italians eat lentils on New Year's

Italian Lentils can be considered good luck on New Year's Day. They symbolize money and prosperity. Lentils would be given to friends and family in a small purse to symbolize good luck and prosperity in ancient Rome.

What are Italian Lentils called?

Some Classic Italian lentils recipes are Lenticchie in Umido (stewed lentils) or lenticchie brasate with cotechino.

What if I want more or less broth?

If you wanted more broth, you could make a lentil soup instead of these stewed lentils, like our Barley Lentil Soup. If you want less broth, you could cut out the red wine or cut out ½-1 cup of broth. I prefer a little extra broth to dip my bread in at the end.