Sausage casserole with beans

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 x 400g/14oz tins plum tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the beans

• 250g/9oz dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight or a 410g/14oz tin, drained and rinsed
• 3 cloves garlic, squashed with skin left on (if using dried beans)
• 3 sprigs sage leaves, plus extra to serve (if using dried beans)
• pinch salt

For the sausages

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 good-quality sausages

Method

1. To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, then add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick - about 50 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, to cook the dried beans (if you are using tinned do not do this, just add them to the sauce in the final stage), put them in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Add the garlic, sage and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum. Reduce the beans and allow to simmer for about 40 minutes - they should still have a little bite to them. Once they are cooked, drain and set aside, discarding the garlic and sage.

4. For the sausages, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the sausages and brown all over. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.

5. Add the beans and sausages to the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the beans are soft and tender (but not mushy), the sausages are cooked through and the sauce is rich and thick. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with sage leaves to serve.