Some things in life are just meant to be and Tom Colicchio joining forces with The Jersey Tomato® Co. just happens to be one of them. At the time, Colicchio wasn’t looking to do any branded products. The opportunity fell into his lap or rather, onto his plate.
The Colicchio Collection: Perfect Pairing
The story began when Colicchio received a sample of The Jersey Tomato Co. sauce over the Fourth of July weekend. Colicchio’s family was staying with him and started asking questions about the unopened jar of sauce sitting on the table. He told them how a guy sent some sauce for him to try. The next thing you know, the sauce was opened and the taste testing had begun. Everyone loved it!
“I immediately took note of how clean and fresh the sauce tasted. It wasn’t overcooked or over pureed like most tomato sauces on the market,” said Colicchio. “This particular product brought out the finest flavors of the Jersey tomato.”
Colicchio is a New Jersey native with an innate appreciation for the Jersey tomato. His grandfather used to grow tomatoes in the summer that his grandmother would then use to make what the grandchildren referred to as “the summer sauce.” It was made from freshly picked tomatoes that were simply peeled, cut and seeded. Drizzled with a bit of olive oil and seasoned with just the right amount of garlic, Colicchio’s grandmother would cook the tomatoes for about thirty minutes, resulting in perfection.
“The Jersey Tomato Co. Sauce brought back memories of my childhood. I had never tasted anything that came as close to my grandmother’s sauce as this product did,” stated Colicchio. “The quality, the story, and the timing — everything just seemed to align for me to become the brand ambassador and culinary consultant for The Jersey Tomato Co.”
Expanding upon and enhancing the original.
Building off the original Jersey Tomato Co. sauce, The Colicchio™ Collection is a line of ultra-premium cooking and pairing sauces inspired by Italy’s most beloved culinary regions. Each sauce is intended to complement a range of dishes including recipes developed by Colicchio that are designed to highlight the sauces’ distinct flavor profiles. From tomato baked sea bass with fennel and orange salad to eggplant shakshuka — you can’t go wrong.
“I wanted to capture the exciting variety of cuisines throughout Italy in a collection that home cooks could use to elevate and enhance their everyday cooking,” says Colicchio. “The inherent brightness and balance of these sauces allows the regional ingredients to shine through, taking stews, braised and grilled meats, seafood, even pizza to another level of flavor and vibrancy.”
As with all The Jersey Tomato Co. sauces, the Colicchio Collection is made with 100% vine-ripened New Jersey Tomatoes, which are prized for their sumptuous flavor and delicate balance of sweetness and acidity. These sauces are also lower in sodium, gluten-free, non-GMO, and have no added sugars or artificial preservatives. The six sauce flavors include:
Liguria: This sauce captures the spirit of Liguria with its vibrant Mediterranean notes of white wine, lemon zest and provençal herbs. It is perfectly paired with fish, steamed clams, chicken thighs, or vegetables.
Trentino: This hearty sauce was inspired by Trentino’s unique mountain ranges bordering Central Europe. The substantial flavors of wild mushroom, parmesan, rosemary pair perfectly with braised chicken, meatball, and sausage dishes.
Sicilia: This sauce delivers an enchanting twist on traditional Italian flavors with zesty notes of orange, Kalamata olive, and white wine. True to the festive nature of Sicilians, it is recommended with seafood, shellfish braising, and lamb stews for sharing with friends.
Piemonte: Hints of Barolo wine and sage showcase the elegance of Piemonte and classic Italian cuisine. This sauce lends style and dimension to any dish, especially braised beef, chicken, mushroom ragout, and vegetable gratin.
Abruzzo: Notes of saffron, fennel, and sambuca capture the fortitude and vitality of Abruzzo in the superlative sauce. Abruzzo’s vibrance pairs well with chicken meatballs, braised fish, scallops, and fennel gratin.
Calabria: Locals are known to split open the little red peppers found throughout the Calabria region to add spice to their dishes. This sauce follows their lead with Calabrian chilis, eggplant, and zucchini.
Tomato sauce is typically thought of as something you pour on top of pasta. These particular sauces are great for that but they also work really well as cooking sauces, offering versatility and the ability to mix and match. The high quality and original seasonings found in the Colicchio Collection is guaranteed to save time without sacrificing flavor.
“These sauces invite individuals cooking at home to let their intuition take the lead,” said Colicchio. “It’s not about being perfect or following recipes to a tee. As long as you’re cooking the ingredients properly, the end result is going to be good.”
Colicchio is not the kind of chef that has an R&D department going through 20 iterations of a recipe. He tries something out as a meal one evening and the next day it’s on the menu or, in this case, up on The Colicchio Collection site. As showcased in his book, Think Like A Chef, Colicchio believes it’s about fine tuning the cooking techniques and that confidence comes with experience. When someone can go to the farmer’s market, buy a bunch of stuff and make a meal with whatever they have on hand — that’s cooking.
A perceptive packaging alternative…and more to come.
Convenience and combating food waste is important to Colicchio and were major factors when creating 12 oz. pouches for The Jersey Tomato everyday sauce line. The product creates a solution for those instances where a jar of tomato sauce is used once and put on the back shelf of the refrigerator only to be forgotten and eventually thrown out.
“We thought it would be really great to offer our sauces in single-use pouches perfect for one or two people,” said Colicchio. “It’s a practical solution for enjoying a meal without worrying about leftover ingredients going to waste.”
In addition to being conscientious about packaging, there are plans in place to expand upon the Colicchio Collection and introduce Colicchio Kitchen. New products such as vinaigrettes, sauces and more will be released annually. In the meantime, experienced home cooks and newbies in the kitchen can consistently serve up palate pleasing dishes with the Colicchio Collection cooking and pairing sauce jars and The Jersey Tomato Co., soon to be Colicchio Kitchen, jars and pouches.
The Colicchio Collection is available on colicchiocollection.com as a subscription with unique member benefits and as a one-time purchase of $48.00 for a set of three 16 oz. jars.
The Jersey Tomato Co. fresh taste of summer sauces are available on jerseytomatoco.com and at select retailers nationwide.
Read Also: Rovagnati Launches Charcuterie Line in the United States
Get to know Tom Colicchio
Chef, restaurateur, food activist, brand ambassador and culinary consultant for The Jersey Tomato Co., and Head Judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. Driven by his belief that everyone can cook authentic cuisine and inspired by unique ingredients native to Italy, Chef Tom Colicchio created the ultra-premium sauces and complementary recipes found in the Colicchio Collection. The Colicchio Collection is for anyone who shares his passion for cooking and who wants to create elegant dishes with ease.
