Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

8 pork sausages (I used Lincolnshire)

4 rashers streaky smoked bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

10 sage leaves, chopped

Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs, chopped

1/2 tsp -1 tsp hot smoked paprika

850ml / 1 ½ pints passata

2 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar

400g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Cheese Spirals

250g / 9oz self raising flour

50g / 2oz cold butter, cut into cubes

125ml / 4fl oz milk

1 egg, beaten

50g / 2oz parmesan, finely grated

Heat the oil in a pan and brown the sausages for 5-10 mins until golden.  Remove.  Add the bacon to the pan, sizzle for 5-8 mins until golden then stir in the onion, celery and carrot.  Cover and gently cook for 10 mins until soft.

Turn up heat, add the garlic and half the herbs and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the paprika and tomato puree, cook for 1 minute then tip in the rest of the casserole ingredients together with 300ml water and bring to a simmer.  Season to taste.  Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/Gas 5.  Cover and put in oven for 25-30 minutes.**

Put the flour, a pinch of salt and the cubed butter into a processor and pulse until resembles fine crumbs.  Add most of the cheese.  Beat the milk and ½ egg together and add to the flour mixture until you have a soft dough.  Knead the dough very lightly.  Roll or pat to a rectangle approx. 17cm x 24 cm.  Sprinkle over the remaining herbs.  Roll from one of the long edges to form a roll.  Cut into slices (8-10 is ideal for cooking purposes).

Remove the sausage stew from the oven, remove lid and place the spirals over the top in a circle just a little apart.  Brush with remaining egg then sprinkle them with remaining cheese.  Put back in oven for 20-25 minutes until the spirals are nicely browned and cooked through.

To get ahead:The casserole can be made to the ** stage up to 2 days ahead and you can make the cheesy spirals ready to cut and wrap in clingfilm up to 1 day ahead.

To freeze: The casserole can be frozen up to the ** stage up to 1 month ahead.  The cheesy spirals are best made when needed.