Recipes Cuisine European Italian Cotechino and Braised Beans 5.0 (2) 1 Review 2 Photos Cotechino is a large, Italian pork sausage traditionally served to celebrate the New Year. Its thick casing is pierced all over with a knife, then gently braised in a pot of lentils until done. After the sausage is cooked, it's sliced into round coins, which are then fried crisp in a pan, and used to garnish the lentils or beans. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on October 10, 2019 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 2 2 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins Additional Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 9 hrs 35 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 pound dried cranberry beans 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cups chicken broth water as needed 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 pound Cotechino sausage 1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions Place cranberry beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in onion. Cook, stirring, until onions are softened and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cranberry beans, chicken broth, water, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and thyme. Pierce Cotechino all over with the tip of a knife, then place in broth and beans mixture. Bring to a simmer, skimming any foam that accumulates. Reduce heat to low; cook until beans are tender, 1 hour. Transfer Cotechino to a cutting board; discard string and casing, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Stir Swiss chard into bean and broth mixture. Simmer until chard is wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the Cotechino rounds until crisped and browned, about 1 minute per side. Ladle beans into bowls and top with Cotechino rounds. Editor's Note: Cranberry beans are also known as Borlotti beans. If you are unable to find them, you can substitute white beans, Great Northern or Navy beans. Green or black lentils would be good, too. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 497 Calories 20g Fat 53g Carbs 29g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 497 % Daily Value * Total Fat 20g 26% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 30mg 10% Sodium 745mg 32% Total Carbohydrate 53g 19% Dietary Fiber 20g 72% Total Sugars 3g Protein 29g 57% Vitamin C 15mg 16% Calcium 143mg 11% Iron 6mg 31% Potassium 1376mg 29% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.