Sausage, Bean and Olive Casserole

6 tbsp olive oil
350g onions, chopped
2/3 carrots, chopped
400g pancetta, diced
1 kg pork sausages, cut into 3cm thick slices
2 tbsp plain flour
2 glasses red wine
800g tomato puree
400ml beef stock
150g pitted black olives
400g tinned cannellini beans, drained
200g button mushrooms, quartered
5 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200'c/Gas Mark 6.  Heat the oil in a large pan/flameproof casserole dish and fry the onions and carrots over a high heat for 2 minutes, until golden.

Add the pancetta and the sausages and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, mix in the flour and cook for a further minute, stirring continously.

Add in the wine and cook for about 2 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate, stir in the tomato puree then add the beef stock, the olives, cannellini beans and the mushrooms.  Add the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper then bring to the boil.  Cover the pan or transfer to a casserole dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the sausages are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Leave the casserole to rest for 10 minutes you don't want to serve it straight from the oven, then serve with crusty bread.