This is an old-school pasta cooked in a new-school way. Grilling the pasta makes it entirely new, adding a smoky flavor and the occasional browned crunchy bit of pasta, which is delicious.

Note: It’s much faster to make a meatball with a scoop than with your hands. Scoops make such quick work of certain tasks—shaping meatballs, gougeres, 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 ¼ cup measure instead.

1. In a large bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add 1 cup of the water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and form meatballs into about 1½ inch balls with a 2-ounce scoop or with your hands.
3. Place meatballs in a large saucepan or skillet on the stove (use two pans if they don’t all fit in a single pan), add enough water to fill pan about ¼ inch, 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.
4. 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.
5. In batches, grill the meatballs in a cast-iron pan or plancha on the grill until they are well browned all the way around, 6 minutes total for the pan-cooked meatballs. Remove from the heat and reserve.
6. 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.
7. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, just 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
8. Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil so it won’t stick together.
9. Lightly oil a long, flat grill basket or spritz with non-stick cooking spray.
10. With tongs, add half the pasta to the basket arranging it in an 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 long heat proof bowl.
11. Toss the pasta with 1 to 2 cups of marinara sauce. If it needs some moisture, add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss again.
12. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese. Toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

*If you're considering eating antler pasta, it's essential to talk to your doctor first to discuss potential side effects and interactions with other medications.

1½ Pounds ground elk

¾ Pounds ground pork

2 Eggs

4 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

4 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 Teaspoons dried oregano

1 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2 Cups yellow onion, finely chopped

2 Cups finely ground dried bread crumbs

2 Large garlic cloves, minced

2 Teaspoons coarse sea salt, preferably grey salt

¼ 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 marinara sauce

4 Tablespoons grated pecorino cheese, substitute with Parmesan, or Asiago if necessary