Sheet Pan Sausage and Cherry Tomatoes
A quick and easy sheet pan supper using up cherry tomatoes before they spoil, with Italian sausage and vibrant spring greens.
Total time
40 min
15 prep + 25 cook
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
Cuisine
British
Per serving
450 kcal
P: 25g · C: 15g · F: 30g
Those cherry tomatoes are looking a bit sad, aren't they? Before they go soft, let's get them roasted into something delicious. This sheet pan supper is a lifesaver for a busy weeknight when you need to clear out the vegetable drawer. It’s ideal for a light dinner, perhaps with a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices. You can use any Italian-style sausage you fancy, from mild to hot, or even a plant-based alternative.
Why this works
Roasting cherry tomatoes at a relatively high temperature concentrates their flavour. The heat breaks down the cell walls, releasing sugars and moisture which caramelise, making them sweet and jammy. This process also softens them enough to blend into the other ingredients without becoming mushy.
Ingredients
- 500gCherry tomatoes
- 400gItalian-style sausagesabout 4 sausages
- 1 largeRed onioncut into 8 wedges
- 4Garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed
- 2 tbspOlive oil
- 1 tspDried oregano
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper
- 100gSpinach
- 1/2Lemonfor serving
- a small handfulFresh basil leavesto serve (optional)
Method
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas Mark 6).
- 2
Tip the cherry tomatoes, red onion wedges, and crushed garlic cloves onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle over the dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Toss everything together on the tray so the vegetables are evenly coated.
- 4
Squeeze the sausages out of their skins and break them up into bite-sized pieces directly onto the tray amongst the vegetables.
- 5
Arrange the sausage pieces and vegetables in a single layer.
- 6
Roast for 20 minutes.
- 7
Remove the tray from the oven. Stir in the spinach, distributing it amongst the other ingredients.
- 8
Return the tray to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and the spinach has wilted.
- 9
Squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter with fresh basil leaves, if using. Serve immediately.
Tips
- ·If your sausages are very fatty, you can drain off some of the excess fat after roasting the vegetables and before adding the sausage meat.
- ·Use a large, sturdy baking tray that can handle the weight of the ingredients.
- ·Don't overcrowd the pan; use two trays if necessary to ensure everything roasts rather than steams.
Variations
- →Add chunks of courgette or bell pepper along with the tomatoes and onion.
- →Stir in a tablespoon of pesto at the end for an extra layer of flavour.
- →For a spicy kick, use hot Italian-style sausages or add a pinch of chilli flakes with the oregano.
Storage
This dish is best eaten straight from the oven. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated gently on the hob or in the oven.
