Recently, I’ve been getting a bunch of requests for vegan sheet pan dinner options. I am more than happy to oblige. A sheet pan dinner is when everything (protein, veggies, some type of carbohydrate) is fried on a baking sheet with oil, salt, pepper and a spice mix. One and done! With this Veggie Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner, we combine vegan sausage, chickpeas, fennel, red onion, cherry tomatoes and olives as our base. All these flavors work so beautifully together!
My one criticism of sheet pan meals: they can be a “one note” in terms of overall taste. Working in the oven for roasted veggies and vegan sausage, we make a simple vegan pesto cream sauce that’s also great on grilled veggies. You just throw together some vegan pesto (store bought is great!), cashew butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper and water. Very simple.
I often try to dream up different meal ideas with vegan sausage. They’re quick to cook and extra satisfying—especially if you’re cooking for meat. My favorite vegan sausages are Beyond Meat’s Hot Italian or Field Roast’s Italian Garlic and Fennel. Both options cook great in the oven.
It’s important to use a baking sheet big enough so you can spread everything out. It allows decent browning on veggies and sausage! When everything is packed tightly together, you get a bit of a wet steamy effect, which we don’t want. Use the largest baking sheet you can find (or two smaller ones) and give all the bits as much space as possible.
The whole thing takes about 30 minutes in the oven. I like to serve this Vegetarian Italian Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner with some baby arugula on top and some ciabatta bread on the side for a little extra indulgence. The caramelized edges of the fennel and red onion really highlight the extra strong and savory flavors in the veggie sausage. A burst of acidity from the tomatoes and the slightly salty bite of the olives mesh beautifully with the pesto cream. And chickpeas make this weeknight-appropriate dinner extra hearty.
I hope you can try this one soon! Let me know if you’re totally on the sheet pan dinner train 🙂
Veggie Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner with Pesto Cream
Vegan Veggie Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner with Pesto Cream is loaded with veggies and plant-based protein, super tasty and satisfying, and comes together in about 40 minutes – all in the oven!
serving 4
material
Veggie Sausage Sheet Pan
- 1 (398 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 big Fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 Small red onion, cut in half
- 1 ½ the cup Cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ the cup Pitted olives
- 2 table spoon olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Chili flakes (optional, or to taste)
- 4 Vegan sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
Pesto cream
- ¼ the cup Vegetarian Pesto
- ¼ the cup Cashew butter or tahini
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ the cup Water, plus extra
to serve
- Baby arugula
- ciabatta bread (or other bread of choice)
Comment
- Any Italian-style veggie sausage link should work here. i like out of the flesh (Hot Italian–shown in photo) and field roast (Italian garlic and fennel) the most.
- If you have a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil on hand and have opened them, I recommend using some of the oil from the jar in place of the olive oil here. Extra flavor bump!
- You can use homemade pesto or store bought for maximum convenience. I love Sunflower Kitchen’s vegetarian pastes and use them often. The Gotham Greens one is very good!
instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Set out a large baking sheet (or 2 small ones).
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Dry the chickpeas as thoroughly as possible with a clean kitchen towel. Transfer chickpeas to baking sheet.
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Also add the following items to the baking sheet: chopped fennel, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and chili flakes. Toss everything until all the vegetables and chickpeas are coated in the oil and seasoning. Spread everything on the baking sheet as much as possible.
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Place the sliced veggie sausages on top of the chickpeas and vegetables. Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Roast the chickpeas, vegetables and sausage for 30 minutes, turning and tossing gently at the halfway point. When it’s done, the fennel and onions should be slightly caramelized on the edges, the tomatoes should be bursting, and the sausages should be browning well.
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While the chickpeas, vegetables and sausage are roasting, make the pesto cream. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegan pesto, cashew butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and water. It should be thick and creamy, but pourable. Add more water if needed.
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To serve, place a handful of baby arugula in each serving bowl. Transfer ¼ of the chickpeas, vegetables and sausage to the arugula portion. Finish each serving with pesto cream and some bread on the side if you like.
