Melon and Prosciutto Pasta Salad + Weekly Menu

We had a golf outing for work yesterday. As a volunteer and non-golfer, I supervised hole 16 with a co-worker. Had a hole-in-one been made, there was a great car to give away that was parked in the tee box, taunting the golfers. But, no hole-in-ones were made. In fact, there were some pretty terrible golfers. It made me want to give it a go. I mean, I couldn’t be THAT much worse than some of the novices out there. You have to start somewhere, right?

Yesterday, however, was a day to volunteer. And get sun burnt.

After the event, the volunteers stuck around to enjoy a cold beer and socialize some.

By the time I left the golf course and ran some errands, I had lost all motivation to workout. Between the sun and the beer and the week from you-know-where with very little sleep, a workout was the very last thing I wanted to do. Literally, the very last thing I wanted to do. But, by 8pm, I stumbled down to the workout room and pounded out 40 minutes on the elliptical. A very sweaty workout while catching up with one of my favorite shows, So You Think You Can Dance.

You never regret a workout, right? So true.

When I was through, Mr. Prevention wanted an update on what plans we had for dinner. At 9pm.

“Leftovers, dude.” I said.

I finished off a tiny bit of pulled pork, a tiny bit of crab & avocado salad, and a spoonful of this Melon and Prosciutto Pasta Salad. While the melon & prosciutto salad combination isn’t anything new, it was new to me. The lemon-olive oil dressing tied the flavors together beautifully and most importantly, it was a super quick meal that didn’t require the oven.

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Melon and Prosciutto Pasta Salad

7 oz (2 cups dry) whole wheat penne pasta
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt and black pepper
2 cups canteloupe, cubed
3 oz prosciutto, ripped into pieces
6 large basil leaves, chiffonade
2 oz Asiago, shaved

Directions:

Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add the pasta, stir, and cook 12-14 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under slightly cool water until pasta is room temperature.

Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon juice into a medium bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously. Season with the salt and pepper.

Toss the pasta with the lemon-olive oil dressing and add remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Yield: 4 entree servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 389 calories; 16.0 g. fat; 32 mg. cholesterol; 674 mg. sodium; 42.8 g. carbohydrate; 4.5 g. fiber; 19.5 g. protein; 10.3 g. sugar

Result: Sweet and salty with a hint of tang from the lemon juice and salty, rich bite of the Asiago. I love the balance of flavors and how fresh and summery the dish is for a quick weeknight meal. I wish the leftovers were as good as when it’s freshly made, but a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil would freshen it right up as leftovers. Enjoy!

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Weekly Menu: June 16th – June 20th

• Sunday: Szechuan Chicken with Noodles
• Monday: Spiced Salmon Kebabs with Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
• Tuesday: cookbook recipes
• Wednesday: Greek Shrimp and Couscous
• Thursday: Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

Happy weekend! Our families are here this weekend for Father’s Day celebrations 🙂 Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Be well,