National sausage week, day 2: Italian expression

Nick at Melling's Quality butchers has got some lovely sausages on - every week, not just this week.  The herby italian variety looked particularly nice, so we had some of them.  With it we had lentil and provolone pasta bake and salad.  If we all ate meat I would have made the sausages into meatballs and put the in the bake, but that wouldn't have been fair on the veggie!

Onion
Olive oil
Garlic
Italian seasoning
Aubergine
Red pepper
Lentils
Chopped tomatoes
Pasta
Parmesan
Provolone
parsley
Italian sausages
Salad leaves, dressed with balsamic and olive oil

1.  Gently fry chopped onion in olive oil until it goes transparent, then add crushed garlic and a good pinch of herbs.

2.  Add chopped aubergine and red pepper, and a handful of red lentils.  Fry briefly, then add a tin or two of chopped tomatoes, a pinch of chilli flakes and a cup of water, simmer.

3.  Boil pasta (gluten free for us).

4.  Cook sausages as you prefer - I bung them in the oven, turn after 10 minutes.

5.  Drain pasta, mix pasta and sauce together with a handful of chopped parsley and some grated parmesan.  Top with grated or sliced provolone and put in the oven to brown - about 15-20 minutes.

6.  Serve, scoff - have seconds (well thirds actually... one of us)