Spicy Mince Spaghetti

Have I mentioned how much I love lamb? Probably.... And I'll tell you what else I love... Pasta! Combine them together and you've got yourself a mouthwateringly delicious serving of Spaghetti with Lamb Mince.

TIP: If you're vegetarian you can easily switch the lamb mince for quorn mince and the recipe tastes just as good!

The trick to making the perfect tomato sauce for a spicy pasta dish is to mix chopped tomatoes and passata - the chopped tomatoes give that fresh tomato taste and the passata adds some thickness to the sauce which the mince soaks up nicely.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g lamb mince

• 300g wholewheat spaghetti

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup passata

• 1 tin sweetcorn (198g)

• 1/2 red onion - finely chopped

• 1 tsp coconut oil

• coriander - finely chopped

• 1-2 tbsp mix of green, red & scotch bonnet chillies - finely chopped (or ground if possible)

• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp coriander & cumin powder (dhania jeera)

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 2 tsp mixed herbs

• black pepper - OPTIONAL

• grated parmesan cheese - OPTIONAL

RECIPE

1. Place the spaghetti to boil in a saucepan for the stated time on the packet. Once cooked, drain and leave to one side.

2. Whilst the spaghetti is cooking you can start making the sauce. In a large pan, heat the coconut oil then add in the chopped red onion and sizzle on low heat until slightly brown.

3. Add in the garlic and chillies (if you don't want it too spicy, avoid the scotch bonnet chillies and only put in around 1 tbsp of the green/red chilli mix). Sizzle on low heat.

4. Add in the lamb mince, breaking the meat, and stir. Then add in the salt, coriander & cumin powder, garam masala and turmeric. Stir well, breaking apart any large lumps of meat. Cover and cook on low heat until the meat has fully cooked, stirring occasionally.

5. Once the meat has cooked, add in the chopped tomato, passata and sweetcorn, then stir gently until the sauce has mixed in well with the meat. Add about 1/4 cup of water to loosen the sauce up slightly then sprinkle in the mixed herbs. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick.

6. Before adding in the spaghetti, taste the sauce to see if you feel you need more of anything and add that if you require. Once you're happy, add in the spaghetti and mix well. Sprinkle in some coriander, then cover and leave on a low heat again for about 5 minutes to ensure the flavours mix in well, ensuring to stir occasionally to avoid sticking.

7. Serve in a bowl and top with some grated parmesan cheese (optional) and a sprinkle of black pepper (also optional).