Goat's cheese and watermelon salad
40 minutes
Juicy watermelon makes the perfect partner to tangy goat's cheese in this easy-to-assemble pasta salad. Flavour and texture are provided by crunchy witlof, peppery rocket and toasted pine nuts, which combine to give a Mediterranean flair.
Zoë Harpham
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Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 200 g penne preferably wholemeal
- 125 g firm goat's cheese
- ½ small watermelon, peeled, cubed and deseeded
- 100 g rocket
- ¼ cup (50 g) pine nuts, toasted
- 2 small heads witlof
- 4 slices prosciutto, trimmed of all excess fat and cut into strips
- MINT DRESSING
- 2 ½ tablespoons mild olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Directions
Preparation:25min ›
Cook:15min ›
Ready in:40min
- Cook the pasta in boiling water for 11–13 minutes or according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
- Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a screw-top jar and shake together well. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Both the cheese and prosciutto are quite salty, so no extra salt should be needed.
- Crumble the cheese into the cooled pasta and add the watermelon. Pour the dressing over and lightly toss together, then add the rocket and pine nuts.
- Separate the witlof into individual leaves and arrange on a serving platter or shallow salad bowl. Arrange the salad on top and scatter with the prosciutto.
VARIATIONS
Fetta cheese may be used instead of goat's cheese. Buy it in a block rather than ready-cubed and reduce the salt content slightly by soaking in a bowl of cold water for 2–3 minutes, then draining. Crumble or cut into small cubes. * Instead of the watermelon, try cubed honeydew or rockmelon or diced ripe mango. Add the squeezed juice of 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger to the dressing.
EACH SERVING
2 ½ portions vegetables, 1 ½ portions fruit
