This Prosciutto and Rockmelon (or Prosciutto e Melone) is simplicity personified, in the way that all really great Italian food is.
I remember the first time I sampled the combination of sweet, juicy rockmelon (otherwise known as cantaloupe) and salty, wafer-thin prosciutto. It was at the wonderful La Bella Italia cafe in Petone (near Wellington) in New Zealand. A friend and I sat down to this entree, followed by a risotto main, and frankly I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven.
Since then, I’ve made this dish as often as I can. As soon as those deliciously fragrant rockmelons arrive in the vegetable section of the supermarket, I trot over to the deli and buy a packet of authentic Ghiotti prosciutto. Then it’s home, cut open the melon, drape over the prosciutto, and eat. Simple. Sublime.
ROCKMELON (CANTALOUPE) WITH PROSCIUTTO
Ingredients
- 1 ripe rockmelon cantaloupe
- 8 rashers of very finely shaved prosciutto
Instructions
- Cut the rock melon in half and, using a dessert spoon, scrape away the seeds from the middle of each half and discard.
- Slice each half into half, and then half again, so that you have 8 slices.
- Take each slice and, using a paring knife, carefully slice the melon away from the rind, leaving about an inch uncut at one end – this makes it easy to eat the melon, while ensuring it doesn’t fall off the rind.*
- Put 4 serving plates on the counter, and place 2 slices on each plate. Then drape a rasher of prosciutto over each piece to serve.
I’m in Melbourne Australia.
I already bought half a rockmelon and prosciutto yesterday.
Before my partner eats all the rockmelon straight from the fridge, I wanted to check how to serve the classic dish?
Does it need olive oil and vinegar or not?
Yours is the first recipe that popped up that was the real traditional salad.
My prosciutto is now at room temperature so it’s nice and soft.
Thanks for keeping it so simple. I won’t even add black pepper.
It’s 43 degrees here today so this will be a perfect treat
Hi Bruce. When it was served to me in an authentic Italian restaurant, it was served simply as is without any dressing or condiment. But feel free to add whatever you like. You can if you like add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze, along with black pepper. Enjoy!