INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds ground sirloin

• 2 eggs

• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves

• 2 cups finely chopped yellow onion

• 2 cups finely ground dried bread crumbs

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, preferably gray salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cups water, plus more if needed

• 5 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 pound dried spaghetti

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cups Grilled Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)

• 4 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and form meatballs into about 11/2-inch balls with a 2-ounce scoop (see Chef’s Note) or roll into balls with your hands.

VAC-PACKED COOKING METHOD: Seal the meatballs with just a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and cook them in 130°F water for 35 minutes.

OLD-WORLD COOKING METHOD: Place the meatballs in a large saucepan or skillet on the stove (use 2 pans if they don’t all fit in a single pan), add 1/2 cup of the water over them (1/2 cup water to each pan if using 2 pans), and cover. Steam the meatballs over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill them.

Turn a gas grill to high or ignite charcoal. When the grill is hot, for both gas and charcoal grills, clean your grill rack. Decrease the temperature to medium-high (on a gas grill only), and brush or wipe a little olive oil on the grill rack.  In batches, grill the meatballs in a cast-iron pan or plancha on the grill until they’re well-browned all the way around, 4 minutes total for the vac packed meatballs and about 6 minutes total for the pan-cooked meatballs. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts of water, add the kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat on your stove. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, so it won’t stick together.

Lightly oil a long, flat grill basket or spritz with nonstick cooking spray. With tongs, add half the pasta to the basket, arranging it in a thin even layer. (If you have two grill baskets, cook both batches of pasta at once.) Place the basket on a rack over hot coals and turn frequently, until the pasta turns a golden color. You’ll hear it crackling during grilling.

Empty the grill basket into a large heat-proof bowl. Toss the pasta with 1 to 2 cups of Grilled Tomato Sauce. If it needs some moisture, add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese. Toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.

Chef’s Note: It’s so much faster to make a meatball with a scoop than with your hands. Scoops make such quick work of certain tasks—shaping meatballs, gougères, or cookie dough, for example—that I keep a variety of scoop sizes at home as well as at work. If you don’t have a 2-ounce scoop for the meatballs, try using a 1/4-cup measure instead. You’ll find scoops in most restaurant- supply stores or cookware stores.