Sausage and Lentil Pot

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried lentils
• rinsed and picked over
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 medium onion
• studded with
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 teaspoon dried thyme or 12 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 10 -12 links sweet Italian sausage or 10 -12 links hot Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion
• chopped
• black pepper
• to taste
• 1 cup dry red wine

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, combine the lentils, salt, studded onion, and thyme with enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil; lower heat to low, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy; stir occasionally to prevent sticking (watch lentil carefully since they might stick once they've absorbed most of the water).
3. Drain in a colander.
4. Just before the lentils have finished cooking, arrange the sausages in large skillet; prick well with a fork; add enough water to cover; bring to a low boil; poach for 5 minutes and transfer to a plate.
5. In a medium-size skillet, let the butter melt over medium heat; add in the onion; stir/saute for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
6. Arrange half the sausages in the bottom of a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish; scatter half the lentils over the sausages; then spoon half the onion over the top.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Layer the remaining lentils over the onion, then layer the remaining onion; arrange the remaining sausages on top.
9. Pour on the wine, and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until the sausages are nicely browned.