Italian Lamb Ragu & Spaghetti

In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian herbs and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the lamb mince to the empty space in the pan. Cook, breaking up the lamb with a spoon, until browned, 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste (see ingredients list), brown sugar, chopped tomatoes, water and crumbled beef stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people). Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

While the ragu is simmering, add the spaghetti to the saucepan of boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’, 9 minutes. TIP: 'Al dente' means the pasta is cooked through but still has a bit of firmness in the middle. Drain and return the spaghetti to the saucepan.

Add the spaghetti to the lamb ragu and toss to coat. In a medium bowl, combine olive oil (2 tsp for 2 people / 4 tsp for 4 people) and balsamic vinegar. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and add the mixed salad leaves. Toss to coat. Roughly chop the parsley leaves.