Bring water to a boil in an 8-QT Stockpot fitted with a Pasta Insert.

Place tomatoes in a large bowl and crush by hand until tomatoes are in small pieces (alternatively, you can use a food processor or blender for this step). Using a Chef Knife, thinly slice the garlic.

Add olive oil and garlic to a 5-QT Saucier or Dutch Oven, then heat over medium-high. Cook, stirring, until garlic is just barely sizzling, aromatic, and light golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Add crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Add tomatoes, ¾ tsp. salt, reduce heat, and cook until slightly thickened, 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add balsamic vinegar to sauce, if using.

Meanwhile, season pasta water heavily with salt (about 2 Tbsp.) and cook pasta according to package directions until about 2 minutes shy of al dente. Remove Pasta Insert from Stockpot and transfer pasta to sauce. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.

Toss pasta in the sauce and cook together until al dente, about 2 minutes more, adding reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more red pepper flakes or salt, if necessary (keep in mind that Pecorino is usually quite salty).

Plate pasta in an Entrée Bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil,  parsley, and Pecorino. Sauce can be stored in an airtight container and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.