directions

1. Heat a little oil in a sauté pan that has a lid or a shallow casserole. Brown the sausages all over and remove from the pan to a plate. Add the onion, bacon and carrot and a little more olive oil if necessary and fry until beginning to soften.

2. 2. Add the lentils and stir over the heat for a minute or so before adding the stock and plenty of ground black pepper. No salt at this stage. Return the sausages to the pan. Bring up to the boil, cover with the lid and simmer very gently for 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked but still have a little bite to them. They shouldn’t be mushy. Season with salt.

3. 3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/425/Gas 7. Halve and remove the seeds from the butternut squash, no need to peel it, and cut into bite-sized chunks. Toss with a little olive oil and salt in a roasting tin, spread out in one layer and cook at the top of the oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until beginning to brown and caramelise, turning once half way through the cooking time.

4. 4. Serve the casserole with a little Dijon mustard blobbed over the top, followed by some roughly chopped parsley and the butternut squash. If you prefer serve the squash separately.