Back Pocket Pasta

Starred review from December 5, 2016
Henry, former director of special projects for Bon Appetit magazine, created #backpocketpasta on Instagram, and the high-concept hashtag became this book of pasta recipes (plus a brief “Salads & Sides” chapter). “Back pocket” refers to the handful of ingredients and simple techniques required to pull together a weeknight meal. Henry’s years in food media combine with her food-centric Italian family background for sophisticated, compromise-free recipes that demonstrate how good olive oil, tinned anchovies, pecorino romano, and San Marzano cheese can become convenience foods. Absorbingly chatty, personal headnotes tell the story of each recipe, touching on a familial twist such as how Henry was inspired to pasta-fy a favorite restaurant breakfast. Her introductory manifesto is an outline for success, including gratifyingly citing the importance of pasta cooking water, a resource many cooks still pour down the drain. Sensible suggestions for maintaining a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator make it easy to have supplies on hand, and her “Set Up Your Station” chapter includes staging a few tools in advance of the work week.