You just have to trust me....

...I know this sounds a little wackadoo, making pasta sauce from a cantaloupe, but it's tasty and so refreshing.  I made a version of this at a farmers' market demo last summer. When I was done, I walked over to talk to the melon guy and he had a huge line of people from the demo, all with cantaloupe in hand.  So don't just trust me...they ate it and were going home to make it!

Last weekend I bought a canary melon from Angie of Zuckerman's Farm.  It's a cross between a honeydew and a cantaloupe, and has bright yellow skin.  It's been a year since I made my melon pasta sauce, so I was ready.  I started with a little sliced onion, some of the Sweet Italian Long Peppers I bought at the farmers' market, and a banana pepper from my garden.  Just a few minutes to soften up.  Then hit it with a few garlic cloves.

Then comes the diced melon.  I cut them into bite sized pieces so they break down quickly.

Just let that hang out over medium heat for about 20 minutes or so, and watch all the natural juices come out, creating a wonderful sauce.  You've just got to stir it every once in a while.

The color of this melon is kind of bland, so I throw in a bit of smoked paprika, and look at how it's transformed:

And see how much juice it's giving up.  You can save a little of the starchy cooking water from your pasta to thin it out, if you'd like. I always reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid before I drain my pasta, because the starch in that water can extend a sauce and give it a creamy texture.  Today, however, I'm just going for good ol' cream!
This melon was really sweet, so I balanced that out with some Sirracha and a hit of red wine vinegar, and of course, sea salt.  Once you've tasted it and gotten your flavors in line, pull the skillet off the heat and slowly stir in a 1/4 cup of cream.  Then toss it with quinoa pasta (Ancient Harvest is my favorite brand), some chopped pecans (or walnuts) and a light sprinkling of parm.  Super tasty, super easy, super weird!  I like it!!

Canary Melon Pasta
Serves 6

1 package quinoa pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 Italian Long Peppers (or 1 large red bell), seeded and chopped
1 banana pepper (or Anahiem or pasilla), seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 canary melon (or cataloupe), peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sirracha
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
• Melt butter and oil in large skillet and add onion.  Cook 2 minutes over medium high heat.
• Add peppers and garlic, and continue to cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add melon pieces and stir to combine.  Cook 5-10 minutes, and when juices start to appear, add smoked paprika.
• Continue cooking 5-10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, then add vinegar and Sirracha.
• After a total of about 20 minutes, you should have a rich sauce.  Remove from heat and slowly drizzle in the cream, stirring constantly, so it doesn't curdle.  Then fold in the basil leaves
• Toss with pasta and top with chopped nuts and cheese.

What's you favorite pasta to make????