GRILLED MEATBALL AND FUSILLI PASTA SALAD

Grilled Meatball and Fusilli Pasta Salad image

Spaghetti and meatballs is a cold-weather classic and comfort food at its best. But all its ingredients-noodles, tomatoes, fresh herbs and meat-are popular in the summer, too. We lightened up the dish by transforming it into a chilled pasta salad with grilled meatballs and fresh tomato sauce.

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h20m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

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Ingredients

2 Family Size Tea Bags
2 quarts water
Sugar or sweetener, optional
2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 5 tomatoes)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing, oiling the grill grates and drizzling
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 small cloves garlic, grated
Kosher salt
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs1/3 cup milk1/2 small red onion, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large egg
One 2-ounce piece Pecorino-Romano
1 pound ground pork
12 ounces tricolor fusilli
8 ounces ciliegini mozzarella balls, drained
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn

Steps:

For the iced tea: Pour 4 cups boiling water over teabags in a heatproof pitcher and allow to brew, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove teabags and add sweetener to taste. Stir in 6 cups ice cubes until melted. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes two quarts. For the pasta salad: Toss the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper, half the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; let sit at room temperature.
Stir together the breadcrumbs, milk, onion, oregano, egg and remaining garlic in a large bowl; let sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
Brush a baking sheet with oil and set aside. Shave half the Pecorino into long, thin strips with a vegetable peeler; set aside. Finely grate the remaining Pecorino and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Add the ground pork and mix everything with your hands until just combined. Roll level teaspoons of the pork mixture into about 30 small meatballs, placing them on the oiled baking sheet as you form them. Thread 5 meatballs onto each skewer. Freeze the skewers to firm up the meatballs (and help keep them from sticking to the grill), about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare a grill or large grill pan for cooking over medium-high heat.
Add the fusilli to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Strain the pasta well, add to the bowl with the tomato mixture and stir to combine; set aside.
Brush the skewers all over with oil. Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the skewers, rotating as needed to ensure even cooking, until the meatballs are charred in spots on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skewers, and add to the pasta, along with the shaved Pecorino, mozzarella and basil. Add salt if needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Drizzle with additional oil before serving.