Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, wide-bottomed ovenproof pan on medium heat. TIP: If you don't have an ovenproof pan, use a normal pan and transfer to an ovenproof dish before baking.

Once hot, add the sausage meat and fry until the sausage has browned, 5-6 mins. Use a spoon to break it up as it cooks. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw sausage meat. 

Meanwhile, trim the carrot, then quarter lengthways (no need to peel). Chop widthways into small pieces.

Once the sausage meat has browned, drain and discard any excess fat. IMPORTANT: The sausage meat is cooked when no longer pink in the middle.

Stir the dried thyme, passata, red wine stock paste, chopped carrot and sugar and water for the sauce (see pantry for both amounts) into the sausage meat. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce up to the boil, then pop a lid on the pan (or cover with foil).

Bake on the middle shelf of your oven until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened, 20-25 mins.

When the ragu has 15 mins left, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1/2 tsp salt for the spaghetti.

When boiling, add the spaghetti to the water and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender, 8 mins.

Once cooked, drain in a colander and pop back in the pan. Drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.

Remove the ragu from the oven, then stir in the sun-dried tomato paste, cooked pasta, butter (see pantry for amount) and half the hard Italian style cheese. 

Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce if you feel it needs it.

Share your ragu al forno pasta between your serving bowls.

Sprinkle over the remaining hard Italian style cheese to finish.

Enjoy!