On a clean work surface, form a mound with the 315 g of flour and create a well in the center, large enough to hold the four eggs. In a bowl, separate the yolks from the whites and mix them with olive oil. The mixture is carefully poured into the well of flour. Use a fork to gently beat the eggs, being careful not to incorporate the flour from the sides.
Then, with the fork, start bringing the flour from the edges towards the center, continuously mixing with the eggs and oil. When everything is well combined, use your hands to knead the dough until it becomes a uniform mass. If the dough is too sticky, do not hesitate to add a little flour from the 75 g portion and continue kneading. Clean the work surface and sprinkle flour to avoid sticking. Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until it becomes soft and smooth. Finally, shape it into a ball and cover it with a bowl, letting it rest for 30 minutes.
After this period, divide the dough into four equal parts. Use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough on a floured work surface until you achieve a thickness of about 1 cm. Cover the remaining dough to prevent it from drying out. Prepare the pasta machine according to the instructions, sprinkling flour on the rollers. Pass each piece of dough through it, adjusting the thickness until you reach about 1 mm. Place the obtained strips of dough on a floured surface.
Cut the long strips into smaller pieces, allowing them to dry for about 10 minutes. Use a wheel cutter to cut each piece into the desired sizes, forming farfalle. Shape each piece of dough by gently pinching the center, creating a beautiful and attractive look. Let them dry on a lightly floured surface.
For the dressing, combine honey, olive oil, poppy seeds, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, and mustard in a bowl. Mix the ingredients well until you obtain a creamy emulsion. Keep the dressing cool in a shaker to shake before use.
Boil the pasta in salted water, stirring gently, then drain and rinse with cold water. Mix the pasta with the pieces of melon and cheese, then add the prepared dressing along with finely chopped mint leaves. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh, drizzling it with lemon juice. Add the pasta mixture, garnished with salad leaves and cranberries, and serve immediately. Enjoy this fresh and flavorful salad!
Ingredients
For the salad: - 2 medium-sized cantaloupes - 80 g pasta (farfalle - this type of pasta was the author's choice) - 250 g cantaloupe ("Cantaloupe" or "Honeydew Melons") cut into pieces (I cut small hemispheres from the fruit's flesh) - 60 g "Fontina" cheese or "Swiss cheese" (if you don't have "Fontina" on hand, I think you can replace it with "Gouda" - it depends on everyone's preferences), cut into cubes or grated. - 45 ml poppy seed dressing (for the salad) - "poppy seed salad dressing" - 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves - 1/4 medium-sized green lollo lettuce (only the leaves) - a few cranberries for decoration. For the pasta that goes into the salad - farfalle** - 390 g freshly sifted white flour - 4 large eggs - 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. For the dressing: - 30 ml honey - 100 ml extra virgin olive oil - 3/4 tablespoon poppy seeds - 15 ml high-quality white wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed) - zest of 1/2 organic lemon - a few mustard seeds or a pinch of Dijon mustard.