Watermelon Salad with Stracciatella, Arugula, and Pine Nuts

Our daughter got married at the NYC courthouse a few weeks ago, and afterward, both families gathered for a celebratory lunch at Odeon in Tribeca. It was a beautiful, low-key way to mark the day, just two families coming together over champagne and a table full of food we passed around and shared.

Before our entrees, we ordered a handful of appetizers for the table, and they were all delicious. But one really stood out: a watermelon and arugula salad with stracciatella, pine nuts, and a bright, herby pesto. It was simple and refreshing. We talked about it for days afterward, which is usually our sign that a dish needs to be recreated at home. So that’s just what we did.

Our version of the watermelon arugula salad

The version at Odeon (on the left) was delicious. It was a perfect round of watermelon, topped with a generous scoop of stracciatella, a handful of arugula, a few dollops of pesto, and some toasted pine nuts. The ingredients on their own are fairly common, but together they feel like something unusual, in the best possible way.

At home, we kept the same basic structure. Watermelon rounds instead of cubes give the salad a different presentation than the classic watermelon-feta combination most people are used to, and the stracciatella, creamier than fresh mozzarella, adds richness without feeling heavy. The pesto ties it all together, and the pine nuts add just enough crunch to keep every bite interesting.

It’s a refreshing summer salad that comes together quickly, but the presentation makes it unique. It’s perfect for a summer lunch, a dinner party starter, or, apparently, a wedding celebration.

The simple ingredients for a refreshing summer salad

• Watermelon
• Arugula
• Pesto (store-bought or homemade)
• Vinaigrette (our recipe)
• Pine nuts
• Stracciatella

Directions for watermelon arugula salad

1. Cut the watermelon in half width-wise. Cut a a round, 1-inch think slice from the center of the watermelon.
2. Using a round plate, cut a circle out of the center of the watermelon. Repeat until you have the number of round pieces you are serving.
3. Transfer the watermelon rounds to serving plates. Top each round with a handful of arugula, and 3 dollops of pesto around the watermelon edges. Sprinkle with a small handful of pine nuts and top with two generous spoonfuls of stracciatella. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the salad, and serve.

Here are a few other fun summer recipes

• Sugared basil strawberries with crème Anglaise
• Summer melon salad with ham, basil, and shallots
• A simple peach Galette
• Strawberry spoon cake