Prosciutto and Melon Salad

By Ali Slagle

Published August 5, 2024

  • Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(1,156)
Comments
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On a hot, sticky summer day, this colorful, no-cook salad of prosciutto, melon, mozzarella and arugula belongs at the center of your table. Eating salty prosciutto with sweet melon is so classic, the combination of cured meats and fruit dates back to ancient Rome. Wrapping slivers of melon in prosciutto is still a go-to antipasto throughout Italy, but this rendition adds peppery arugula and creamy mozzarella to make it more of a salad. Make it a meal alongside braised beans and focaccia, or whatever’s coming off the grill.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ lemon

  • 3 cups bite-size pieces of cantaloupe, honeydew and/or another melon (about ½ small melon)

  • 5 ounces arugula

  • 15 small basil leaves

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 4 ounces small mozzarella balls, halved and at room temperature (or use fresh mozzarella torn into bite-size pieces)

  • 8 slices prosciutto (3 ounces), cut in half

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

8 grams carbs; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 218 calories; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 731 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Finely grate the zest of the lemon half over the melon pieces.

  2. Step 2

    Place the arugula and basil in a large bowl or on a large platter. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Squeeze the lemon over. Toss gently with your hands until coated. Place the melon, mozzarella and prosciutto on top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Taste. If the salad is too sharp, add another drop of oil. If the salad is dull, add a sprinkle of salt. Serve right away.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,156 user ratings
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Comments

klhahn

I highly recommend tearing the proscuitto into small pieces, bundle each piece and bake on a sheet pan for 15 min at 350 degrees. Let it cool and add to the salad just before serving. this is a yummy recipe, but roasting the proscuitto makes it even better.

Sam Pagan

I recommend drizzling a little bit of balsamic vinegar over the salad.

Pandora

Perfect, if you have a ripe melon. The smooth mozzarella added protein and a creaminess, the prosciutto offered a meaty saltiness, the sweet melon was a foil for the peppery arugula and grassy basil. Yum. I made this for two, sprinkling two dozen small (under 1”) basil leaves throughout—they really made a difference!—and saved the lemon and oil for a very light vinaigrette (1 tsp each) at the end. With a couple of grinds of black pepper at the end, this is a keeper!

deanna

I like to crisp up the prosciutto (in the oven or a pan). it adds great texture and the crunchy pieces can make their way into every bite. It sharpens the salty flavor as well.

ally

While our melon was not super sweet, the flavours were very interesting. As per other suggestions, maintaining equal and bite-sized melon, meat, cheese added to the eating pleasure. I might try roasting the prosciutto next time to see how it changes the taste but it was very tasty as written.

JudiM

This was wonderful! Thanks to klhahn for the tip about crisping the prosciutto. I’m sure we’ll have this at least once more before the summer’s over. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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