This Italian dish boasts a light flavor with a floral sweetness thanks to the melon. Zucchini delivers a healthy dose of vitamin C and manganese.
Makes four to six servings
Prep time: 35 to 40 minutes
Ingredients for the dressing
- ½ to 1 red or green chili, according to taste, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Juice and grated zest of ½ lemon, plus extra zest to garnish
- 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the salad
- 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 4 medium yellow or red tomatoes, sliced, or 12 to 16 yellow or red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced
- Handful of basil leaves, tough stems discarded
- ½ honeydew or cantaloupe melon, scooped into pearls or balls
- 1 cup ricotta, drained
Directions
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste and set aside.
- Arrange a layer of some of the zucchini slices, tomatoes, and peppers on one large serving plate or on individual dishes. Pour on a little dressing. Add the remaining sliced vegetables on top, followed by the remaining dressing. (At this point you can place the salad in the fridge for a few hours if you want to serve it later.)
- Just before serving, scatter the basil leaves and melon balls over the salad, and top with teaspoon-size dollops of ricotta. Grate a little extra lemon zest on top and finish with a grind of black pepper.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Around the World in 120 Salads by Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi © 2017 Kyle Books, photographs © Helen Cathcart. No images may be used, in print or electronically, without written consent from the publisher.
Why No Numbers? Readers sometimes ask us why we don’t publish nutrition information with our recipes. We believe that (barring specific medical advice to the contrary) if you’re eating primarily whole, healthy foods — an array of sustainably raised vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains, and healthy fats and oils — you probably don’t need to stress about the numbers. We prefer to focus on food quality and trust our bodies to tell us what we need. — The Editors
