Former director of public relations at Bon Appétit, Colu Henry is celebrating the publication of her first cookbook, Back Pocket Pasta: Inspired Dinners to Cook on the Fly. The book was born from the Instagram hashtag #backpocketpasta, which Henry created to describe the quick, delicious pasta meals she was cooking inspired by her Italian heritage and her various neighborhoods over the course of her life in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

On Wednesday, March 15, Jon and Vinny's hosts a dinner with Henry to celebrate Back Pocket Pasta. It's open to the public and costs $60 per person for a multicourse meal — reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at (323) 334-3369. We wondered what pasta Henry seeks out when she's in L.A. These are her picks. 

Pasta at Alimento; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Pasta at Alimento; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Alimento
“I've been a fan of chef Zack Pollack for some time now. His innovative takes on traditional Italian dishes are inspirational. My current favorites include his radiatori with braised pork sugo, kale and fennel pollen, and the squid ink strozzapreti with octopus, seppia, wild fennel and chili, which are perfect examples of simple yet elevated ingredients done right. So molto bene!” 1710 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake; (323) 928-2888, alimentola.com.

Angelini Osteria
“Chef Gino Angelini whips up beautiful Northern Italian dishes that conjure up memories from my recent trip to Emilia Romagna. His tortelli di zucca and tagliolini al limone are standouts.” 7313 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax; (323) 297-0070, angeliniosteria.com.

Pasta at Jon & Vinny's; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Pasta at Jon & Vinny's; Credit: Anne Fishbein

Jon and Vinny's
“These old, dear friends never cease to amaze me with anything they do and just always knocking it out of the park. I have a real soft spot for old-school American-Italian red-sauce joints, and Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo do it just right. My favorites include the linguine with clams, and the carbonara (perfect for any hangover, whoops!).” 412 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax; (323) 334-3369, jonandvinnys.com.

Bestia
“I was immediately taken with the gorgeous, industrial space from the first time I visited. Owners and husband-and-wife team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis turn out such an innovative marriage (no pun intended) of globally driven dishes. Currently, I'm super into their spaghetti rustichella with Dungeness crab, citrus, Thai basil and onion seed, and the agnolotti all'agnello, which is stuffed saffron pasta with braised lamb, pine nuts and currants, speaking to my Southern Italian roots.” 2121 E. Seventh Place, downtown; (213) 514-5724, bestiala.com.

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