Prosciutto and Melon Served 3 Ways

My mom introduced me to this as a young child and it’s a timeless combination that is used far and wide. I use three ingredients for the basic recipe, which makes it fairly simple to assemble. There is no cooking involved so it’s super easy all the way around.

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a little info about the prosciutto and melon pairing

The classic grouping embraces the flavor combination of sweet melon and salty prosciutto. This mouthwatering combo requires no-cooking and literally three ingredients with a little mint garnish if desired.

Prosciutto is an Italian dry cured ham. The Italian Prosciutto di Parma variety is one of my favorites, but there are also domestic prosciuttos. Whether imported or domestic, both varieties can readily be found in most grocery stores.

Cantaloupe is a sweet, juicy and orange-colored fleshy melon. When choosing a melon feel the weight. A heavy melon has a high water content, which makes for a juicy melon.

the basic recipe for prosciutto and melon

Ingredients

• 1 Cantaloupe Melon
• 8 thin slices of prosciutto crudo
• 1 lime
• Fresh mint (optional)

Instructions

• Cut melon in half and deseed (simply scoop seeds out)
• Cut each melon half in 4 equal wedges, making 8 wedges total
• Cut rind off of each wedge
• Cut lime in eight equal wedge pieces
• Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each melon wedge
• Squeeze a lime wedge on each melon and prosciutto section
• Garnish with mint if desired

3 different ways to serve prosciutto and melon

The Wedge

This is how the recipe above is presented. It is how my mother introduced this fabulous combination to me. This was normally served in a brunch setting or sometimes as an appetizer during a sit down dinner. It’s also a fabulous and healthy snack.

The combination provides a hearty yet light faire, which is a perfect appetizer in my book. Some appetizers can be so heavy they fill me up before the main entree. This is a very refreshing and light starter, which just wets your appetite and prepares you for the main dish.

It also lends itself as a make ahead dish, which is super helpful when you are serving a sit down dinner. Timing is always very important in this type of setting so make ahead dishes are low maintenance and stress free.

In Skewers

If I want to serve this as an appetizer in a party setting rather than a sit down celebration, I create bite size skewers instead. It’s an easy adaptation from the wedge configuration above.

Simply take the wedges and cut them further into cube like pieces. Then wrap each melon cube with a piece of prosciutto ham. On the serving platter squeeze some lime on them plus garnish serving dish with more lime wedges for the guests to add more if desired.

This is a crowd pleaser, and I have brought this to many pot lucks. When it’s a party that involves guests mingling around and holding a beverage in hand, I like to provide bite size options with skewers. It’s manageable, not requiring a plate or utensils.

A Salad

Another way to serve this refreshing combination is in a salad format. It is very similar in concept to this melon salad I shared here {refreshing 3 melon salad with lime & mint}. This is great for a help yourself buffet style serving and also in a brunch setting.

When I use melons in salad type treatments I like to use a melon baller. Although it requires a teensy tiny bit more work, I think the presentation is super pretty. When you slice the melon in half and deseed it, simply use a melon baller to remove all the meat from the melon half.

Once you’ve removed all the melon meat, place the melon balls in a bowl. Then chop the prosciutto slices into small slivered pieces. Place the prosciutto in the bowl with the melon. Squeeze the lime all over the melon and the prosciutto and toss to coat all the pieces with lime juice. Garnish with mint leaves if desired. This can also be made ahead if you are using it to entertain.

bon appetit and enjoy some prosciutto and melon however you wish

Whether you choose to share this with a crowd or simply eat it as a quick snack the refreshing burst of flavor never disappoints. The salty prosciutto, and sweet melon with the tart lime juice all come together beautifully and balance each other out. Bon appetit and enjoy it your way.

get the prosciutto and melon necessities

“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”

Anthony Bourdain

sharing @ between naps on the porch