Sausage, Lentil and Tomato Bake

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the conventional oven to 200°C / 400°F, with racks in the middle and lower positions. Cut the carrots into 5 mm-thick rounds, thinly slice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Drain and rinse the lentils, weighing out 480 g. Cut the bread into four equal portions.

2. 2

   Toss the carrot and onion with the olive oil in a 4-liter metal roasting dish. Arrange the sausages on top in a single layer. Roast uncovered on the middle rack for 20 minutes, turning the sausages halfway through.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, combine the lentils, chopped tomatoes with their juices, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and 100 ml cold water in a bowl.

4. 4

   Carefully pour the lentil mixture around the sausages and stir it through the vegetables, leaving the sausages exposed on top. Return the dish to the middle rack and bake uncovered at 200°C / 400°F for 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Loosely wrap the bread in foil and place it on the lower oven rack. Continue baking the sausage dish and warming the bread for 10 minutes. Check that the carrots are tender, the sausages reach at least 71°C / 160°F in their centers, and the lentil mixture reaches 74°C / 165°F. If needed, remove the bread and continue baking the dish in 5-minute increments until these checks are met.

6. 6

   Divide the sausages, lentils, vegetables and sauce evenly among four plates and serve each portion with the warm bread.