Sausage and Butternut Squash Casserole

Autumn has arrived in Britain, and this is a perfect dish for these cold dark evenings. As an added bonus, it is also pretty easy to make.

• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Serves: 4 to 6
• Skill level: easy

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 6-8 sausages (best-quality you can afford)
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 3 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I used a garlic crusher)
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds and gunk removed, cut into equal sized pieces
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 500ml chicken stock

Method

1. Heat oven to 180º C/350º F/gas 4
2. Heat half the butter in a large casserole pot over a medium heat and fry the sausages for 5 minutes, or until golden brown all over.
3. Add the remaining butter, onion and shallots and fry for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and sage leaves and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring well.
4. Add the squash,stir to combine and turn the heat up high. Add the vinegar and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the sugar, then pour in the tomatoes, beans and chicken stock, season to taste, and bring to the boil.
5. Transfer the casserole to the oven for 1 hour or until the sausage is cooked through and the squash is tender.