Oregano recipes

This is the kind of thing you make when the garden is giving you tomatoes and oregano at the same time and you want a lunch that tastes like a proper Italian summer. Fresh oregano is worked through the tomatoes and whipped through the ricotta so it runs through every bite. Use the best bread you can find — it genuinely matters here.

Tender lamb shanks slow-braised in red wine and tomatoes with a generous bunch of fresh oregano that infuses the whole dish with its warm, resinous flavour. After three hours in the oven the meat falls from the bone and the braising liquid has reduced to a glossy, deeply flavoured sauce. Serve with soft polenta or mashed potatoes to soak up every drop.

Red peppers and oregano are natural partners — the sweetness of the roasted peppers is brought into sharp, aromatic focus by a serious quantity of fresh herb stirred through at the end. This is a soup that tastes far more complex than the ingredients list suggests. It is good hot in early autumn and equally good cold when the weather hasn't turned yet.