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Ingredients
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Melon & Fruit
Cheese & Garnish
Dressing
Optional finishing
Method
Prepare fruit
Chill and slice
Chill the melons in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Remove seeds from the watermelon if any. Cut the watermelon and cantaloupe into 2–3 cm thick wedges, or into 2–3 cm cubes if you prefer a composed salad. Pat any excess juice with paper towel to avoid watering down the dressing.
If using wedges, trim rind leaving a clean edge and cut each wedge into 2–3 bite-sized pieces for plating. Arrange pieces on a large platter or on individual plates with some spacing so toppings show.
Make lemon oil dressing
Emulsify dressing
In a small bowl or jar combine the extra-virgin olive oil (60 ml), fresh lemon juice (30 ml), lemon zest (1 tsp), sea salt (1 tsp) and black pepper (1 tsp). Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright and slightly salty to balance the sweetness of the melons.
Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the lemon oil mixture per serving for finishing; the remainder can be lightly drizzled over the assembled platter.
Prepare cheese and herbs
Crumble ricotta salata
Using a fork or your fingers crumble the ricotta salata into coarse crumbles roughly the size of chickpeas (200 g total). Ricotta salata is a dry, crumbly cheese — aim for varied sizes so you get both small flakes and larger crumbles on the melon.
Tear mint
Pick fresh mint leaves (20 g) and stack a few leaves, roll into a cigar and thinly slice (chiffonade), or simply tear leaves by hand to release aroma. Keep some whole small leaves for garnish if desired.
Assemble
Arrange the melon pieces on the serving platter. Scatter the crumbled ricotta salata evenly over the melon so each bite has cheese. Distribute the torn mint leaves across the platter.
Lightly drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of the lemon oil dressing over the melon and cheese (reserve extra for guests to add).
Sprinkle Aleppo pepper (2 tsp) evenly over the assembled dish — this gives mild heat and fruity smokiness. If you prefer less heat, start with 1 tsp and offer extra at the table.
If using, scatter the toasted pistachios (50 g) and microgreens or baby arugula (30 g) over the top for crunch and color.
Finish & serve
Optional: finish with a final tiny drizzle (about 1 tsp) of the reserved lemon oil right before serving to lift aromas. Serve immediately so melon remains chilled and textural contrasts are preserved.
Provide extra Aleppo pepper and lemon oil on the side for guests to adjust seasoning to taste.