Prosciutto Melon Pasta Salad

A good week in real estate: 2 closings, 9 new leads, the satisfaction of matching families with houses the way Mama matches fillings with phyllo — instinctively, confidently. I brought spanakopita to an open house. The buyers ate it. They made an offer.

Sunday dinner at Mama's was the usual controlled chaos. Mama made avgolemono and it was, as always, extraordinary. The table held fourteen people. The arguments held more opinions than the chairs held bodies. This is how Greek families communicate: loudly, with food, over each other.

I stood in my kitchen this evening and looked at the counter where I have made a thousand meals for my family and thought: this is what I do. I feed people. I sell them houses and I feed them food and I keep showing up because showing up is the only recipe that never fails.

I made a cold tzatziki orzo salad — cooked orzo tossed with tzatziki, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Perfect for a night too hot for the oven. Sophia ate 3 servings and said nothing, which means it was good. Alexander ate 4 and asked for more. The pan was empty by nine. Empty pans are the highest form of flattery in this kitchen.

The weeks pass and I am learning that life at 46 is not what I expected at twenty-five. It is messier, harder, more beautiful. The moussaka is better because my hands have made it more times. The career is stronger because the failures taught me what the successes could not. And the love — the love I pour into every dish, every showing, every Sunday drive to Tarpon Springs — is bigger now because I have lost enough to know what it costs.

That cold tzatziki orzo salad cleared the pan before nine o’clock, and it reminded me why I keep coming back to cold pasta dishes on nights too hot to turn on the oven — they’re honest food, no fuss, nothing to hide behind. This Prosciutto Melon Pasta Salad hits that same note: sweet, salty, cool, and ready before the evening gets away from you. After a week of showings and closings and fourteen people at Mama’s table, this is exactly the kind of dish I want to make — something that looks like more effort than it is, and tastes like summer.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 oz bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
3 cups cubed cantaloupe melon (about 1/2 medium melon)
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 oz shaved Parmesan or pecorino romano (optional)

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook farfalle according to package directions until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta completely.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until combined.
Assemble the salad. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cubed cantaloupe, red onion, and basil. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat.
Add the prosciutto. Lay the torn prosciutto over the top of the salad and fold in lightly so it stays in distinct pieces rather than getting lost in the pasta.
Finish and serve. Top with shaved Parmesan if using. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving. Toss once more just before plating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Prosciutto Melon Pasta Salad — The Cold Dish That Emptied the Pan