Two things—a rimmed baking sheet and 40 minutes of your time—are all you need to whip up a dinner that will satisfy the whole family. By coming up with a clever arrangement for all the elements and staggering their cooking times, we’re able to make this three-part feast of sausage, vegetables, and polenta a weeknight reality. The juicy grape tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, and onion take longer to cook than the plant-based sausages, so they get a head start in the oven. We also halve a log of precooked polenta and place it on the sheet pan opposite the veg to get some attractive browning. The garlic and fresh rosemary in the vegetables echo the flavors of the Italian sausage links that are the cornerstone of the meal. We arrange the sausages atop the softened vegetables and then fire up the broiler—a few minutes of the intense heat browns the sausages and caramelizes the softened vegetables. You can use store-bought Parmesan or make our Plant-Based Parmesan (page 12), if desired.
Sheet-Pan Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes, and Polenta [Vegan]
Ingredients
- 12 ounces grape tomatoes
- 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
- 1 onion, halved and sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (18-ounce) tube cooked polenta, sliced in half lengthwise
- 8 plant-based Italian sausages
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Plant-based Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preparation
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Scatter tomato mixture evenly over half of prepared sheet. Place polenta halves cut side up on empty side of prepared sheet. Roast until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 20 minutes.
- Remove sheet from oven and heat broiler. Arrange sausages in single layer on top of vegetables and broil until vegetables and polenta are browned and sausages register at least 135 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Slice polenta and serve with sausages, tomato mixture, and Parmesan, if using.
