This sheet pan sausage and veggies is an easy dinner that is ready in less than an hour. Roast the sausage with root vegetables and serve it over fresh arugula to give it a peppery bite.
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This sheet pan dinner couldn't be easier, providing your protein, your side dish, and your green veggies all in one. Italian sausage gets crispy in the oven, the rendered fat coats those roasted root vegetables with goodness.
If you're not a fan of carrots and parsnips, (but how could you not be?) use whatever veggies you like! Potatoes, brussels sprouts, it's a world of possibility.
A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice over the arugula will do, then top the whole thing with some parmesan cheese and you've got yourself a meal.
About the recipe
Ingredients
- Italian sausage: Choose spicy or sweet, whatever suits your fancy.
- Carrots: I always have a bag of real, whole, organic carrots in the fridge. When you buy them without the tops they last a long time and they're great to have around.
- Parsnips: One of my favorite winter vegetables. Try to find medium-sized parsnips that aren't too skinny at the bottom as those ultra-skinny parts won't be usable for this recipe because they will burn before the sausage is done.
- Arugula: I love the peppery bite and brightness that arugula brings to this dish.
- Olive oil and lemon juice: A drizzle of oil and a squeeze of lemon act as the dressing for the arugula.
- Grated parmesan cheese: Please use real parmigiano reggiano and grate it yourself. We only have a few ingredients here, so let's use the best so the flavors shine!
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper: To season the vegetables. I love the warm spice of the pepper on these veggies.
Instructions
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel and chop parsnips and carrots. If parsnips are on the thicker side, I cut out that woody center stem. It can be unpleasantly hard and chewy. Just slice a 1-inch chunk, then cut into 4 wedges, and nip off that triangular piece of stem. You can also carefully notch it out with a paring knife. This is not needed on the thinner parts.
Divide the vegetables between two sheet pans - I love my Nordic Ware sheet pans, they don't buckle! - and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix together.
Cut each Italian sausage into three pieces. Place on sheet pan with veggies.
Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until root vegetables begin to brown. Halfway through, stir them up and rotate the pans.
When the sausage and veggies are almost finished, place arugula in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and squeeze the lemon all over.
Remove pans from oven, consolidate onto one sheet pan, sprinkle parmesan over the top and toss together. Scoop the roasted veggies and sausage on top of the arugula and serve. Voilà! An easy sheet pan dinner on the table in no time.
Tips and Substitutions
- Although you could fit everything onto one large sheet pan, the sausage and veggies will not brown and caramelize, they will just kind of steam and get mushy. (Guess how I figured that out?) So if you only have one pan, do this in two batches.
- If you don't like carrots and/or parsnips, use whatever veggies you like. Just make sure they are cut about the same size and have similar cooking times But please, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not use baby carrots. They are not really carrots. Peeling and chopping the carrots is only going to take you about five minutes and can even be very meditative. What you spend in time you will make up in real, actual carrot flavor. Instead of just a roasted hunk of fiber that is orange and tastes like water.
Related Recipes
- Italian Sausage with Creamy Polenta and Cannelini Beans is a hearty meal that any Italian grandmother would love.
- This Oven Baked Italian Sausage with Parsnips, Apples, and Onions is a one-pan wonder that's perfect on a cold winter night.
Recipe
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 lb parsnips peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 6 Italian sausages in natural casing
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
- 6 oz arugula
- olive oil
- ½ lemon
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Peel and chop parsnips and carrots. If parsnips are on the thicker side, I cut out that woody center stem. It can be unpleasantly hard and chewy. Just slice a 1-inch chunk, then cut into 4 wedges, and nip off that triangular piece of stem. You can also carefully notch it out with a paring knife. This is not needed on the thinner parts.
Divide the vegetables between two sheet pans and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix together.
Be sure to use two pans or do in two batches. If you put everything onto one sheet pan, it won't brown and caramelize, it will kind of steam and get mushy. - Cut each sausage into three pieces. Place on sheet pan with root vegetables.
- Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown. Halfway through, stir them up and rotate the pans.
- Just before sausages and roasted root vegetables are finished, place arugula in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and squeeze the lemon all over.
- Remove pans from oven, consolidate onto one pan, sprinkle parmigiano over the top and toss altogether. Scoop the roasted parsnips, carrots, and sausages onto arugula and serve.
Notes
- Although you could fit everything onto one large sheet pan, the veg and sausages will not brown and caramelize, they will just kind of steam and get mushy. (Guess how I figured that out?) So if you only have one pan, do this in two batches.
- If you can't find parsnips, try beets or yellow carrots instead.
- use whatever veggies you like. Just make sure they are cut about the same size and have similar cooking times. But please, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not use baby carrots. They are not really carrots. Peeling and chopping the carrots is only going to take you about five minutes and can even be very meditative. What you spend in time you will make up in real, actual carrot flavor. Instead of just a roasted hunk of fiber that is orange and tastes like water.
Linda Cummings
Yummy
Jorie
Hey! You think I can do this recipe with carrots and potatoes instead of parsnips?
Debra
Yes absolutely! The original recipe uses potatoes and sausage, so carrots and potatoes will work perfectly!
Jorie
Yum! So easy and delicious! Made tonight and it was great! Personal preference but I removed casings and also added extra arugula!
Thanks Deb! Now, I’m going to have to invite myself to Paul and Sarah’s too 😉
finefoodsblog
So glad you liked it, Jorie! Yes, removing the casings works fine and probably easier for your little ones to handle.