Ready, set, ragu! Get your spaghetti twirling with this lamb pasta that slides into your weeknight with big flavour and little effort. It's also leftover-friendly for next-day lunches, but you'll need to access restraint to save some for your future self.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil in preparation for cooking the pasta in step 5. Heat oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add mince and a sprinkle of salt and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 5–6 minutes or until caramelised. While the mince is cooking, continue with step 2.
Peel and grate onion. Peel and crush garlic.
Once mince has caramelised, add onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds or until caramelised.
Dissolve stock cube in 125ml (½ cup) boiling water. Pick thyme leaves from their stems and add most to the mince, reserving some to serve. Add cherry tomatoes, stock and a good crack of black pepper to mince and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10–11 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. While sauce is cooking, continue with step 5.
Cook pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water for 11 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 60ml (¼ cup) pasta cooking water.
Add pasta, reserved pasta water, a squeeze of lemon juice and ½ the parmesan to sauce and stir until pasta is coated. Cut remaining lemon into wedges. Dress salad leaves with your favourite dressing. Divide pasta between bowls, top with remaining parmesan, reserved thyme and serve with lemon wedges and salad.