Carbone Fine Food Launches Chef-Curated Italian Simmer Sauces for Quick, Restaurant-Quality Italian Meals at Home

Carbone Fine Food, the celebrated chef-driven brand bringing the flavors of its iconic Carbone restaurants into homes nationwide, announces the launch of its newest innovation: Carbone Italian Simmer Sauces. The new simmer sauce line offers home cooks an easy way to prepare Carbone restaurant quality meals in under 30 minutes.

Designed to be the perfect base for any protein of choice such as chicken, beef or seafood, the simmer sauces are crafted with 100% Italian tomatoes slow-cooked in small batches and feature fresh herbs and spices and no added sugar.

"Our goal is to continue delivering bold and creative flavors inspired by Italian-American classics, making your meals unforgettable. We've handcrafted each sauce to elevate beloved home-cooked meals," said Chef Mario Carbone. "With our new simmer sauces, timeless dishes like Chicken Cacciatore or Seafood Fra Diavolo can be prepared with ease and elegance."

The Carbone Italian Simmer Sauce lineup launches with three signature flavors, all inspired by classic Italian restaurant dishes and curated by Carbone's award-winning chefs:

• Cacciatore | A classic Italian sauce meaning "hunter." Earthy and herbaceous, the dish combines mushrooms, woody herbs, peppers, and tomatoes to create a rich, hearty braise that pairs perfectly with chicken.
• Fra Diavolo | A spicy, vibrant blend of fresh chili and wine that pairs perfectly with any seafood. Meaning "brother devil" in Italian, it is most commonly served with shellfish and pasta in a bright tomato sauce with a little kick.
• Bolognese | A signature Italian dish from Bologna, made with slowly simmered ground meat, aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices, then finished with butter and cheese. A staple that captures the warmth and comfort of the Italian countryside.

"Over the last year we've seen the emergence of two major trends. First, millennial and Gen Z consumers want restaurant-quality meals but have very little time to cook. Second, 'high protein' is now the most popular dietary approach in America," said Carbone EVP Marketing Christopher Wendling. "Our new simmer sauces satisfy the large and unmet need for more taste and simple protein inclusive meals in less time, and will expand the tomato sauce category."

"Consumers know tomato sauce as a center store item that's the perfect mate for pasta. But our protein-focused simmer sauces were created to perfectly complement meat and seafood, and will be merchandised primarily via display cases in the meat and seafood sections of the store," said Carbone CEO Eric Skae. "We believe this will boost retailer meat and seafood sales as well as side dish and salad purchases, for a much higher total ring per store visit."

The protein focus of the new simmer sauce line is especially timely given rapidly rising awareness and usage of GLP-1 drugs among Gen Z and millennials, with fully 37% of Gen Z seeking to integrate GLP-1 into their health regimen. (eMarketer) Major market research analysts (Mintel, Circana) project US CAGR as high as 18% for GLP-1 products through 2030, and over 30% of shoppers report searching for new food products high in protein. (Circana)

"Protein is in the zeitgeist. We see our simmer sauces as an entirely new tomato sauce segment that directly addresses the protein megatrend," said Skae.

Beyond the jars, Carbone Fine Food continues to expand the ways it brings bold, chef-driven flavors and experiences to consumers. Following the Simmer sauce launch, Carbone Fine Food will introduce an original Simmer Sauce Kit featuring Rummo's top three classic Pasta cuts (Rigatoni, Spaghetti, and Fusilli), a hand-painted Italian rooster spoon rest inspired by Carbone restaurant dishware, and a Staub 8" navy cast iron pan. With an assortment of dish essentials in the kit, it is the ideal item for gifting season and entertaining occasions ahead.

Carbone Italian Simmer Sauces will steadily roll out on shelves through 2026 in the pasta sauce aisle with additional displays in meat and seafood counters. Consumers can purchase all Carbone Fine Food products, including the new Simmer Sauce Kit, online nationally and through major retailers.

For more information, visit the company website or follow on Instagram and TikTok.

About Carbone Fine Food:

Carbone Fine Food is the fastest-growing national pasta sauce brand. It was created by acclaimed chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi in their quest to reinterpret classic Italian-American cuisine through a contemporary lens – in legendary Carbone restaurants and for millennial and Gen Z foodies at home. Proprietary Carbone recipes feature imported Italian tomatoes grown in volcanic soil beneath Mount Vesuvius, hand-picked at peak freshness and slow-cooked to perfection. Launched in 2021, Carbone has quickly risen to number six in US grocery pasta sauce sales and number two in the natural grocery channel.