A fresh and colorful first course, black spaghetti with avocado and oregano. Maybe more than spaghetti they are black wholegrain rice noodles, which I find in organic stores and I love.

First, because they cook quickly, then because they are very flavorful. In this case I was inspired by a recipe by Ottolenghi; he used buckwheat soba and also added cardamom and fresh coriander.

However you prepare this pasta, you’ll notice how delicious it is; especially fresh aromatic herbs like oregano and basil give that unique freshness.

Today, in fact, with my friends from “herbs and flowers on the plate” we talk about oregano, that little plant that cannot be missing from Mediterranean dishes.

Oregano, Origanum vulgare L., belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is a perennial plant with small, very green leaves. Its name comes from the Greek “oros” meaning “mountain” and “ganos” meaning “joy”, because it enlivens the mountain slopes.

Used in herbal medicine as a remedy for slow digestion, it is, however, best known for its culinary use. I use the dried one sprinkled everywhere, from salads to cooked vegetables, in focaccias, savory pies, pizzas. It gives a Mediterranean flavor to every savory dish. I recommend trying the fresh one in a good pesto, or as in this case, used like basil, added to the dish at the last minute.

See some other recipes where oregano fits really well