Make the meatballs. Put the turkey/chicken mince, cottage cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, finely grated garlic, dried oregano, lightly crushed fennel seeds, if using, finely grated Parmesan and a generous amount of salt and black pepper into a bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined, taking care not to overwork the mixture as this can make the meatballs dense.

Roll into 15-20 meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake at 200C for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. They don’t need to be cooked through at this stage as they’ll finish cooking in the sauce.

Make the Sauce. Add the olive oil to a large pan, then add the finely chopped onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the finely grated garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes and brown sugar. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then simmer for 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened.

Gently nestle the meatballs into the tomato sauce. If needed, add up to 120ml/1/2 cup water to loosen the sauce and make sure the meatballs are partially submerged. Cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from the heat, cover, and leave the meatballs in the warm sauce until you’re ready to serve. They’ll sit happily in the sauce while you get everything else together.

Tear the handful of fresh basil over the meatballs and tomato sauce, then finish with a generous shower of grated Parmesan. Serve over buttery rice or spaghetti.