Sausage, pumpkin and sage casserole

'Great for Halloween'

Ingredients:

50g butter

6 good-quality sausages (pricked with a fork)

1 onion peeled, thinly sliced

3 banana shallots, peeled, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, cut into equal-sized pieces

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp caster sugar

200g chopped canned tomatoes

400g canned cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

500ml chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C

Heat half the butter in a large casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the sausages for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown all over

Add the rest of the butter, onion and shallots and fry until softened. Add the garlic and sage leaves and cook slightly, stirring well

Mix in the pumpkin. Increase the heat and add the white wine vinegar and cook until the liquid has evaporated

Add the sugar, tomatoes, beans and stock and season to taste with salt and pepper

Bring the mixture back to the boil and transfer the casserole dish to the oven

Cook for one hour, or until the sausages are cooked through and the pumpkin is tender

To serve, ladle the casserole into large bowls and sprinkle with flat-leaf parsley