Pescatarian Polpette al Sugo

Mince 3 cloves of garlic, finely chop the parsley and basil, zest the lemon, thinly slice the remaining 4 garlic cloves, and crush the canned San Marzano tomatoes by hand.

Pulse the fish fillets in a food processor until coarsely ground, then transfer to a large bowl.

Add the panko, egg, Pecorino Romano, minced garlic, parsley, chopped basil, lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper to the fish. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and roll each gently between your palms into a ball approximately 4 cm in diameter.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until shimmering.

Arrange the polpette in the hot skillet in a single layer and cook for 4 minutes until the undersides turn golden brown.

Gently turn each polpetta and cook for another 3 minutes until the second side is golden.

Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet, tilting gently to combine with the oil and aromatics.

Add the whole basil leaves and a pinch of salt, then transfer the skillet to the oven.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles gently at the edges and the polpette are cooked through. Insert a thermometer into the centre of a polpetta — it should read at least 63°C (145°F), and a skewer should meet no resistance.

Remove from the oven and taste the sauce, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.

Rest for 5 minutes before serving.