The humble sausage is not just for breakfast make the most of this versatile ingredient with warming winter recipes.

These are beautifully simple dishes but benefit from using really good quality or even speciality sausages.

Roast Squash & Sausages

• 8 large sausages
• 2 red peppers, de-seeded can cut into chunks
• 2 red onions, peeled and quartered
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 750g winter squash, such as butternut, peeled and de-seeded and cut into 2.5cm chunks
• 750g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm chunks

Heat the oven to 2000C/gas mark 6.

Put all the ingredients into a large roasting dish and scatter with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Drizzle over three tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a little honey.

Add salt and pepper and stir everything together until the sausages and vegetables are well coated.

Roast for a good 40 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables tender and browned.

Don’t forget to scrape out the juices at the bottom of the pan as these are delicious soaked into some crusty bread.

Sausage & Tomato Pasta

• Serves 4
• 150g lardons
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 10 sausages, cut into 3cm pieces

Cook the lardons, onion and garlic in a little oil over a medium heat for five minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chilli and bring to the boil.

Add the sausages and cover the pan, leaving to simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with freshly cooked penne or other pasta shapes.