The Summer Salad of My Dreams: Ricotta Salata, Melon, Yellow Cucumber, Prosciutto & Pine Nuts
Crisp, bright, and daringly refreshing. Yes–this really is the true nectar of summer. Hands down, I love every single ingredient in here equally. There is no possible way I could ever choose a favorite. They all live together in literal perfect harmony–shining bright like the little gems that they are. If I ask one thing of you this summer its to make this salad, sit outside in the sunshine, and let these beautiful flavors absorb you in their natural splendor. That is all.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–some flavors are just meant to be together.
Yellow cucumbers are special little slices of veggie/fruit heaven. I love slicing these super thin, and pairing them with a Persian cucumber that is cut a little thicker for optimum cucumber flavor/texture satisfaction.
Now melon and prosciutto are a tried and true couple–so they really ground this recipe in my opinion.
One of the main reasons I love this recipe so much is because you can really have fun with it. Layer each piece on your platter an arrange them in a playful way that you can enjoy. Or simply toss everything together in a bowl–that’s great too. There is no wrong answer!
Ingredients
2 yellow cucumbers
1 Persian cucumber
1/4 red onion
1 cup melon
4 oz or a few layers of prosciutto
1/4 cup ricotta salata
1 tsp toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon
Slice your veggies and fruits anyway you’d like. I ran my yellow cucumbers over my mandoline for super-thin cuts, and chopped my cucumbers to be about 1/4 inch thick for a little contrast. I also like my onions super thin for this.
Layer the fruits and veggies onto a platter– arranging however you’d like. I like to keep a good diversity of flavors present in each area of the platter–making sure each bite has a bit of everything.
Next, twist in your prosciutto–simply tear small strands off and gently twist them to layer into the fruit/veggie mixture.
Then top with the pine nuts–you can gently roast the pine nuts in a sauté pan over low heat for a few minutes to get them slightly golden.
Drizzle with olive oil and lemon and dust with salt + pep.
Enjoy!
