Purple Carrot Unboxing and Prep

 

My wife and I have tried a few food kit delivery services over the last few years including Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. Though they can be expensive compared to buying the ingredients yourself, the nice part is that waste is minimized since they give you everything you need in the required proportions. 

Since I've decided to go all-in on eating a whole-food, plant-based diet, I thought I'd give Purple Carrot a try. We do this every other week so that we can include other dishes that my wife prefers, during the non-Purple Carrot weeks. After about 6 months of using Purple Carrot, I have to say that the meals have been outstanding! I have not had a bad meal yet. 

So I thought I'd share a few photos of what it looks like to prepare a Purple Carrot meal! This particular recipe is called "Fettuccine Arrabiata" which is interesting because I'm typically not a big fan of fettuccine dishes because they tend to be too rich. This one though, hit it out of the park, yet again! 

If you're interested in introducing plant-based meals into your diet, I highly recommend giving Purple Carrot a try. The meals are fun to make, healthy (just watch the salt and oil) and extremely tasty!

The Dish - Fettuccine Arrabiata

Serving Size Info

Ingredients and Tools

Unboxing

Purple Carrot does a great job packaging their meals. There's a frozen ice pack on the bottom and all of the ingredients are nicely grouped and labeled for each of the 3 meals contained in the box. There's a nicely prepared weekly recipe book that is also included in the box.

Preparing the Vegetables

After we opened the bag labeled "Fettuccine Arrabbiata", it was time to proceed with the first steps. 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and dice the onion(s). Peel and mince the garlic. Chop broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. 

Spike Tip: we chose to use our handy small blender to help with dicing the onion, but a knife would have worked fine.

Cook the Pasta

Add fettuccine to the boiling water and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot, off heat.

Roast the Broccoli

Place chopped broccoli florets on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp (2 tsp) olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until browned and crisp in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Spike Tip: We used the pepper but skipped the salt. The recipe honestly didn't need it!

Toast the Breadcrumbs

Add panko breadcrumbs, 2 tsp (4 tsp) olive oil, and ¼ tsp (½ tsp) salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer toasted panko breadcrumbs to a small bowl. TIP: We will use this skillet again in the next step.

Spike Tip: It's the olive oil that drives up the fat content for this dish. So we'll usually reduce oil to the bare minimum, along with eliminating the salt which is unnecessary. 

Make the Arrabiata Sauce

Return the saucepan to medium-high heat with 2 tsp (4 tsp) olive oil. Once hot, add diced onion, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning blend, ¼ tsp (½ tsp) red chile flakes, and ½ tsp (1 tsp) salt. Cook the arrabiata sauce until it begins to simmer, 3 to 5 minutes. TIP: Add more red chile flakes if you prefer.

Spike Tip: Again, skip the salt - unnecessary.

Serve!

Add arrabiata sauce to the pot with the cooked fettuccine and stir. Divide the fettuccine arrabiata between large bowls, ladling any remaining arrabiata sauce over the pasta. Serve with roasted broccoli and top with toasted panko breadcrumbs, basil pesto, and parmesan.

Note: in the background is my bowl of fruit and my favorite wine alternative, POM Wonderful (pomegranate) juice. I'll usually have a medium to large salad and/or a bowl of fruit with dinner too. Eating healthy has never tasted so good!