Lentils are an Italian New Years tradition, so I decided to put my own spin on them by simmering them in rich and flavorful parmesan broth to make lentils in parmesan brodo.
Happy New Year! It was a week ago at this point, but I think it’s still appropriate to say. The New Years tradition in my house is a simple one. We eat appetizers (my 3 one-bite chip appetizers was last year’s selection), we do a puzzle, and we watch the Twilight Zone marathon. It’s easy and cozy, and at this point in my life, I’m over going out on New Year’s Eve. But while this may be our personal tradition, there’s also a very common Italian New Years tradition that I wanted to try for this year. And that is eating lentils on New Years Eve or Day (or some say shortly after midnight) to bring luck in the coming year. So this year I decided to honor that Italian tradition, but in my own way, by making a simple but deeply flavorful dish: lentils in parmesan brodo.
The Italian tradition of eating lentils on New Years is an interesting one. Some think that the association of lentils with good luck dates back to ancient Rome, where a pouch full of lentils were often given on New Years with the symbolism that these coin-shaped legumes would turn into gold. Lentils also represent prosperity and abundance, since they swell when cooked. Lenticchie con cotechino is the traditional meal eaten just after midnight, contechino being a slow cooked spiced sausage. But I didn’t want to quite follow the tradition to a tee, so I came up with my own spin. These lentils in parmesan brodo, cooked slowly in a rich and flavorful parmesan cheese rind broth.
PARMESAN BROTH
Brodo in Italian literally means broth. And making a parmesan brodo is as simple as using parmesan cheese rinds instead of meat bones to simmer in broth. I love using parmesan cheese rinds. I’ll throw them into tomato sauce or soup to give really great depth of flavor and not let them go to waste. We usually have them leftover from hunks of parmesan that we use, but you can also also find small packages of rinds in most cheese shops. I’ve eaten various dishes served in parmesan brodo at Italian restaurants all around NYC (tortellini served in parmesan brodo is a classic), and as simple as it is, it’s equally delicious. Parmesan cheese brings an amazing depth of flavor to any dish with its nutty and deeply savory notes. And using the rinds brings all of that flavor, and even deepens the aged flavor that parmesan is famous for.
You can make this parmesan brodo super simply by simmering parmesan chees rinds with aromatics like onions, carrots, garlic and herbs. Once simmered, slightly thickened, and strained, you can use this brodo for any dish you like. It even makes a fantastic soup base for vegetarian soups. But since it was New Years, I decided to simmer lentils in my parmesan brodo. The lentils swell up, absorbing all of the broth’s flavor and becoming these little gems that burst in your mouth with parmesan goodness. It may be simple, but often the best Italian food is super simple. All you need to do is serve these lentils up with some fresh herbs and crusty bread and you have a dish that’s perfect for New Years, or honestly any chilly night of the year.
Lentils in Parmesan Brodo
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb parmesan cheese rinds
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
- 2 ribs of celery, quartered
- 2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 small bunch of fresh basil (save some for topping at the end)
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley (save some for topping at the end)
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 cups water
- 2 tsp salt, or more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups lentils
- parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Make the parmesan brodo. In a large pot over medium-low heat, simmer parmesan cheese rinds, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, herbs and salt in 6 cups of water. Cook until slightly thickened and the flavors have come together, about 1 hour. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Allow the broth to col slightly, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and add the broth back to the pot. You can reserve the veggies to add back to the soup if you'd like.
- Add the lentils to the pot of broth. Bring it to a boil, then cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 20-25 minutes.
- Serve lentils like a soup, with fresh herbs, crusty bread, and more parmesan cheese for topping.
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