Your summer wouldn’t be perfect, without this amazing prosciutto-melon spaghetti. Black pasta with sweet melon and salty prosciutto, tossed with lemon-honey dressing, is a refreshing and delicious combination which you can throw together in no time. Trying it out is a must.
I am pretty sure you all had melon and prosciutto as antipasti before, right? Well, let’s take a step further and transform it into a proper meal by adding pasta to it. Woohoo. Yeah, I know, most of the times we combine pasta with different sauces, such as the classic tomato sauce, vegetable sauce, pesto or cheese.
But not this time. By pairing black spaghetti with fruits and prosciutto you bring the dish to another level. And you’d never thought you could make an amazing dish with only three ingredients. Also, as I said before, this is a quick throw-together meal, ready by the time the pasta is cooked. So, no more excuse that you have no time to cook. Wink. You can enjoy it either warm or cold, too.
The first main ingredient is pasta. I love squid-ink spaghetti. Because of the black colour, they are a real eye-catcher. When you combine them with something bright and vibrant you enhance the contrast to pop out even more. It’s fantastic. If you want more proof, check this delicious gourmet black spaghetti with pumpkin ragu.
Moreover, black spaghetti have a slight seafood note, which can be “detected” only by an expert nose. Wink. In other words, even if you don’t like fish and seafood, you’ll still love these.
Prosciutto crudo di San Daniele
Next, we have the Italian prosciutto crudo. This dry-cured ham also known as “crudo” is loved all around the country and around the world. I admit I am a big fan. In fact, my top three, all not smoked, are the Italian prosciutto crudo di San Daniele, Slovenian Kraski prsut and Spanish jamón (Serrano and Iberico).
The slight sweet note combined with saltiness, the amazing aroma and the silky texture make prosciutto di San Daniele unique among the dry-cured products. Besides being delicious, it’s also rich in proteins. And of course, it tastes fantastic combined with fruits ( I love this Cantaloupe melon arugula salad), in salads, with meat, on pizza (check out the prosciutto-arugula pizza made from scratch), in a “panino” or wrapped on a grissini stick.
Golden honeydew melon
Furthermore, as I mentioned, prosciutto pairs great with melon. But which melon? There are many types and shapes of melons. They can be round, oval, small, large, yellow, green, red, orange or white, yet they have all one thing in common. They are all extremely refreshing. However, for my recipe, I picked a golden honeydew melon.
Why I said golden? Honeydew melon can have a green or a bright yellow waxy rind. Since I was attracted to the yellow colour, I picked the golden honeydew melon. The flesh can differ from pale green to white. Moreover, they are very juicy and watery, really high in vitamins B and C and low in calories. The seeds can be eaten, too, either raw or roasted.
It’s also super easy to cut because the rind isn’t so thick like the watermelons’ one. Additionally, prosciutto and melon should not be too cold nor too warm. Simply take them out of the fridge 10-15 minutes prior to serving and enjoy them right after served.
Ingredients for two portions of prosciutto-melon spaghetti:
- 200 g squid-ink spaghetti
- 1/4 of yellow honeydew melon (diced)
- 6 slices of prosciutto di San Daniele
- red chili pepper (sliced)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 of lemon (juice)
- 2 Tbsp of olive oil
- salt
- fresh thyme
To begin, put some water to boil. Once it starts boiling, throw in the pasta and cook until al dente. If you aren’t sure, simply pick one and try it. It should be tender yet still with a bite.
In the meantime, cut the melon into small cubes and prepare the dressing. For the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and honey in a small cup and mix it. Keep it aside for later, when you’re ready to serve.
Once the pasta is perfectly cooked, drain it, put back in the pot or a bowl and toss it with the lemon-honey dressing.
Finally, nicely arrange the spaghetti on one or two plates, topping it with sweet honeydew melon dices and prosciutto. Finish with some fresh thyme and red chili pepper. Make your table beautiful by serving this healthy, delicious and light meal. Prosciutto-melon spaghetti is a must-try.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
