Watermelon Granita with Chile

If you have a really ripe, gorgeous watermelon, you may not need any sugar at all.

½ medium seedless watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into 2” pieces
¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground pequin chile or cayenne pepper

Purée watermelon, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 13x9" baking dish; discard solids.

Freeze watermelon mixture until edges begin to set, 30-35 minutes. Using a fork, scrape to break up frozen portions. Freeze, scraping and breaking up every 20-30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice, 2-4 hours.

To serve, divide granita among bowls and sprinkle with ground chile.

Makes 6 servings.

Do Ahead:  Granita can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep frozen. Scrape to fluff just before serving.