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Alison Roman

Cookbook Author; Founder, A Very Good Tomato Sauce

Search every verified Alison Roman interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Alison Roman discussed her recent launch of A Very Good Sauce, a line of jarred tomato sauce sold direct online, on the Odd Lots podcast in February 2026. She explained that her goal is to eventually use high-quality ingredients, including imperfect produce, but noted that such a model is expensive and not yet achievable at scale. She contrasted her product, a 16-ounce jar retailing around $12.99, with larger 32-ounce jars from brands like Rao’s and Carbone that often sell for $8.99, describing the challenge of competing in the consumer packaged goods market while maintaining ethical sourcing and labor practices. Roman also stated that she has self-funded all her projects to date and is not deeply in debt, expecting to break even by the end of the year. She expressed interest in seeking investment only from people who understand her vision and do not expect her to emulate other companies' business models. She emphasized a preference for building a long-lasting brand over pursuing short-term trends, and noted that her newsletter and distribution list have helped her sell out without significant advertising.

Recent appearances

  • Alison Roman's Plan to Conquer the Tomato Sauce Market | Odd Lots

    February 23, 2026 · 📺 Bloomberg Podcasts

    Alison Roman is a cult figure in the world of food media. Several of her recipes have gone viral. She's written multiple hit cookbooks. And her newsletter is incredibly popular. Now, she's putting her name on consumer goods, recently launching a new line of high-end jarred tomato sauce called, appropriately, A Very Good Sauce, which she sells direct online. So what has she learned about the consumer goods industry and its supply chain? On this episode, she explains why she entered the space, how she thinks about carving out a niche, and everything she's learned from figuring out shipping to co…

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  • Alison Roman on building back after controversy and launching her dream project

    November 18, 2025 · 📺 CBS Mornings

    Food writer Alison Roman is offering ways to shop from within your own pantry with her new cookbook, "Something From Nothing." (Click here to shop it: https://amzn.to/4nPGYu3) She spoke to "CBS Mornings" about building her career, overcoming controversy and launching her dream project. Editor's note: CBS earns commissions from Amazon Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings" co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS N…

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  • Alison Roman Shows How to Make Crispy Baked Beans with Mushrooms & Parmesan

    November 16, 2025 · 📺 The Drew Barrymore Show

    Alison Roman joins Drew Barrymore in the kitchen to show how to make her delicious yet simple recipe for Crispy Baked Beans with Mushrooms & Parmesan - plus, she discusses her new cookbook, 'Something from Nothing.' #DrewBarrymoreShow Subscribe to The Drew Barrymore Show:    / @thedrewbarrymoreshow   Keep the party going with a visit to https://thedrewbarrymoreshow.com FOLLOW THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW Instagram:   / thedrewbarrymoreshow   Facebook:   / thedrewbarrymoreshow   Pinterest:   / thedrewbarrymoreshow   Snapchat:   / drewbarrymoretv   TikTok:   / thedrewbarrymoreshow   FOLLOW DR…

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  • Alison Makes Gorgeous Chili With Buttered Cornbread | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    October 29, 2024 · 📺 Alison Roman

    Everyone has an opinion on what makes chili proper or not, but to me, chili is meat and beans and tomatoes and spices: hearty, stewy, with so many toppings. Yes, there are BEANS here. There is also TOMATO (an ingredient I didn’t know was divisive, but have since learned it is!). Anyway, there are two versions of this chili: the long way (using hunks of beef for braising and beans cooked from dried) and the short way (using ground beef or turkey and beans from a can). See? I do care. For the toppings, I won’t tell you what to do so consider yourself free. I recommend full-fat sour cream, jala…

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  • Alison’s 6 Rules For Perfect Clam Chowder | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    September 11, 2024 · 📺 Alison Roman

    I know there are a lot of clam chowder purists out there. A lot of opinions. A lot of thoughts on “right” and “wrong.” But this is my clam chowder, so we’re going by my rules: Bacon is optional. No flour, no roux. No blending. Yes, there is celery. We’re using a mixture of clams of all sizes. And the wild card: I love corn in my clam chowder. It’s the perfect, brothy, breezy soup to make during the famed 5th season, post-summer, pre-fall…chefs kiss. Serve it with saltines, or crusty bread. Because you’ll want to, make green garlic bread on a crusty baguette so you have something to sop up tha…

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  • Alison Makes A Lovely Spanish Tortilla with Aioli and Friends | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    June 25, 2024 · 📺 Alison Roman

    Today on Home Movies we’re making a snack—maybe the best snack? A Spanish Tortilla. Lots of ways to make this classic treat, and here is simply one. It’s made with a quartet (love that word) of pantry-ish ingredients you almost certainly already have: potatoes, onions, olive oil, eggs, and that’s it. Scale it up to make it thick, scale it down to make it thin. Cook it hard to slice, or enjoy it just set with a bit of runniness. Eat it hot, eat it warm, or, my favorite: Eat it cold, cut into thick wedges and dolloped with a bright, bracing aioli. Preferably outside, maybe on a blanket. Alone or…

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  • What Alison Would Cook If You Came Over For Dinner This Summer | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    June 11, 2024 · 📺 Alison Roman

    It’s summertime, the sun’s out, we’re eating every meal outside, and because I bought a whole pig last year: we’re eating pork chops. Specifically, Pork Chops with Capers, Toasted Garlic and Caramelized Cabbage alongside some vegetable-forward, glorious, spectacular sides. These pork chops are THICK, best seasoned with only salt and pepper. Because waste not, want not, we sear gorgeous wedges of fresh cabbage right in that rendered pork fat (you could use broccoli rabe, fennel, or fennel bulb too). I’m also making what might be the most delicious thing you could possibly cook this summer (othe…

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  • Alison Makes Anchovy Butter, Rubs it on A Chicken | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    April 16, 2024 · 📺 Alison Roman

    Anchovies are my favorite ingredient. (I know, we get it.) But making something as simple as anchovy butter is like a whole other portal into the world of anchovies. Make a double-batch to have on-hand to snack on—it’s great on its own, scooped up with a radish, swirled into soup, or, like in this episode, smeared onto chicken. She’s beautiful, she’s gorgeous, she’s stunning: This Anchovy Butter Chicken with Chicken Fat Croutons is, to me, “last meal” status. It’s briny, oceanic, deeply savory, and everything a roast chicken needs. And, of course, to make it all a complete meal: Schmaltzy, go…

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  • Alison Makes a Dessert Better Than Pumpkin Pie | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    November 15, 2023 · 📺 Alison Roman

    There are pecan pie lovers. There are pumpkin pie lovers. There are also apple pie lovers. My Thanksgiving dessert of choice is this Caramelized Maple Tart and yes, it’s not a pie. It’s a tart with a custard that’s JUST sweet enough and almost fudgy in texture. It’s maple-y, it’s nut free, and you’re going to love it. And for all the do-ahead dreamers out there, you can also make it the day before Thanksgiving, you’re welcome . Thank you, Fresh Direct for sponsoring Home Movies this week and making this Thanksgiving the stress-free one it is! Follow the link below to order all the ingredient…

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  • Snacks for Dinner aka Apero Hour (not girl dinner) | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    July 18, 2023 · 📺 Alison Roman

    When the vegetables are abundant, it's too hot to cook, and the friends are down to hang… it’s Apero Hour. Apero Hour, in the traditional Italian manner is the meal before dinner, but it can also be dinner. Apero Hour is any hour, and it can also last more than an hour. While it can be nearly anything you like, I enjoy representing categories as such: a dip, a nut, an olive, a fish, an cheese and vegetables. In this video we're making The Dip (creamy, spicy, tangy), Slightly Sticky Walnuts, Spiced, Marinated Olives, all set out with an melange of vegetables, delightful anchovies and some hard,…

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  • A Very Tall Quiche | Home Movies With Alison Roman

    June 20, 2023 · 📺 Alison Roman

    It’s quiche day! We’re making a Very Tall Quiche with Zucchini and Greens. Because what else are you going to do with all that zucchini you bought? Whether you make this whole-wheat version of The Only Pie Crust, or go classic (recipe also below), I recommend making this quiche the night before. That way, it’s all baked and ready to be sliced during what are peak quiche-consuming hours, the Quiche Hour, 11am-12pm, sometimes also known as “brunch.” This recipe is from Sweet Enough, now available wherever books are sold! Thank you to Oscar Mayer for sponsoring today’s episode! Biggest thank yo…

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  • Scones Two Ways | Home Movies with Alison Roman

    May 09, 2023 · 📺 Alison Roman

    SCONES! When they’re good, they’re great. But most of the time…they’re bad? But not these scones! That’s right, scones plural. One scone (the sweet one) is studded with berries (your choice) with a crunchy, craggily top, and they’re just, well, sweet enough. The other is salty and savory— it’s peppery, it’s cheesy, it has cute little rounds of leek on top. Whichever path you choose, we promise you’ll never have a dry, dense scone experience ever again. These recipes (and many, many others) are excerpted from Sweet Enough, now available wherever books are sold! Purchase Sweet Enough HERE: ht…

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Notable quotes

“I think that for me personally, I've self-funded every project I've ever done and I've kind of taken this to its maximum, in that I'm not that in the red and it will I will be whole probably by the end of the year, which is great. It's more that I want to be sure if I'm going to ask for money. It's I want to ask for money from people that understand me and are not expecting me to be someone else, or model my business”

“Basically, that is sort of the issue with CPG in general. And if you want to make a small mom and pop, like locally sourced, like beautifully made, responsibly pay your workers excellent wages and it's going to be like a $38 jar of tomato sauce. And it's going to be a very limited market of people that are willing to pay for that. And, you know, I look at my local grocery store and I the first thing I do is I go to t”

“There is also mayonnaise, which people really get a bee in their bonnet about. This wasn't like a decision that I made to piss people off or to like cause a stir. I made it because mayonnaise contains both eggs and oil. Two ingredients that are very common in something like cornbread. Also cake. There's chocolate, mayonnaise, cake. Very popular. People love it. That said, you can also use sour cream, whatever, but I ”

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →