Several years ago, I hesitantly tried a recipe by Marcella Hazan: Tonnarelli al Melone. She got the recipe from a Venetian chef named Silvano. Though, the whole idea of this dish seemed weird to me, I was nevertheless intrigued. I enjoyed the pasta far more than I anticipated, but I did find it a bit too sweet. And the fresh pasta seemed to soak up far too much of the sauce.

My spouse suggested that I try introducing prosciutto to add saltiness that would contrast with the sweet melon. What a great idea—a play on prosciutto and melon, the ubiquitous antipasto course. I tried it, making a few other minor adjustments. We were both delighted with the results. Cantaloupe is the recommended choice of melon and thus late summer is the ideal time to make it. The best part is that it’s ridiculously quick and easy to make, particularly when you don’t feel like slaving over a hot stove.

Begin by chopping the ripe, but not mushy, cantaloupe into small cubes.

Sauté the melon in hot butter and oil for just a minute or two. You want the cubes be just tender, retaining their shape, not disintegrating into a mass.

Add the cream, fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of tomato paste. (The tomato paste is strictly to add a nice color to the sauce, it doesn’t really alter the taste.) Cook the mixture over high heat until the cream is reduced to just over half. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of fresh-ground pepper. I find it takes a bit of salt to bring out the flavor of the sauce.

When the sauce is reduced add the chopped prosciutto or speak and cook one more minute. Mix with linguine that’s been cooked just until al dente, and serve immediately.

To print or download the recipe, click here.