The story of this recipe is in many ways the story of my life. It’s pasta—Italian, like me—but with a taste of the Caribbean, where I spent half my years. I invented it to use what was available: avocados, in this case, because sailors make do with what we have. It’s simple but unexpectedly tasty, just like the sailing life I chose many years ago.
Given my name, Omero or “Homer,” many people say that I could have been nothing else but a sailor. But I always thought that the real destiny of my name is to be a storyteller. So here’s my story.
I was born near Modena, in the productive part of Italy known for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ducati cars. Not surprisingly, I started working with engines and metal as a young boy. Little did I know that being able to fix anything and everything with my hands would be a skill I’d use on the ocean later.
My life went on conventionally: a wife, a daughter, a little company of my own, 12-hour workdays. Then an acquaintance asked for my help to fix the engine on a little motorboat. We took it out to test it. And that was it. I was hooked.
The first time I took to the sea, I knew it had to be my life. Countless boats followed that first time, but I never thought that sailing was an option until an old fisherman gave me a Vaurien, a 13-foot sailing dinghy he’d found wrecked ashore. I fixed it and started sailing by myself. I learned everything the hard way; nobody taught me anything. I bought bigger boats and started sailing farther from land—to the islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the Balearics, to Greece. I made mistakes, but learned from each one.
Eventually, I sold my business to take to the sea full time. I bought an aged 40-foot sailboat, and I tried a bit of chartering locally to make a living. It didn’t take long to realize that boats, especially old boats, cost money. A few weeks of charter per year were not enough.
A move was in order. I needed to be in a chartering hub, like the Caribbean, during European winters. I also needed a bigger boat.
On Christmas Day 1991, I met that boat: a 51-foot Bruce Farr design built by Jeanneau. It felt huge at the time. It had been abandoned and was cheap enough for me. With all my savings, I bought it, fixed it and rechristened it Freya. I sailed it across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time with eight people crazy enough to pay me for the experience.
Another 38 Atlantic crossings, westbound and eastbound, have followed. Sailing is still my passion and my job, if you can call it that. Thousands of people have sailed with me, for short and lazy holidays and for tough North Atlantic crossings. Freya and I have sailed in Italy, Greece, Spain, the Canary Islands, the Azores, the Antilles Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Some sailors cruise alone, but for me, meeting and talking to new people is part of sailing. Welcoming so many diverse people aboard has exposed me to lives and realities that I would have never known otherwise. I’ve met actors, doctors, lawyers, singers, travelers and engineers. They have been people young and old, all with different stories to tell and truths of their own.
That’s one of the reasons I started cooking. I love to gather my crew around the table in the evening, share a meal, and talk like we’re family—because that’s what sailors worldwide are.
It makes me happy to share my avocado pasta recipe with this broader family of sailors. It’s simple, light and tasty. It’s vegetarian (vegan if you decide not to add butter) and it’s versatile. If you’re not in the mood for pasta, then you can use the same sauce as a light guacamole. Eat it with fresh veggies, tortillas or any sort of bread you might find along your sailing journey.
May it take you wherever you want to go.
Simple Avocado Pasta
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound uncooked pasta (rigatoni, penne or similar)
- 2 large, ripe avocados
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- ½ cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp.
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. butter (optional)
- A few tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Fresh parsley (optional)
- Serves 4
PREPARATION
Cook the pasta. An Italian tip: Use a lot of water. It’s the only way to cook pasta correctly. Follow package directions, and don’t exceed recommended cooking time.
While the pasta cooks, slice each avocado in half lengthwise around the pit and open it. Remove the pit. With a spoon, scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl. (Flesh should be pale green at the outer edges and light yellow in the middle.)
Add garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add a good splash of lemon juice to prevent the avocado from browning. Stir, then transfer to a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender). Pulse intermittently until the sauce turns smooth and creamy. If the sauce looks too thick, drizzle in the additional 2 Tbsp. olive oil and pulse a bit more.
When the pasta is done, drain it and return it briefly to the pot, off the heat. Add the avocado sauce and butter to get a sweeter flavor and creamier sauce. Toss gently until the sauce is evenly distributed.
Top with sliced tomatoes and chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve and eat immediately.
Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a food processor or blender aboard, use a fork to mash and blend the sauce by hand. It won’t be as creamy, but it’ll still taste delicious.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Can be made: at anchor or underway
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