Makes 4-ish servings

Notes:

We are living in a golden age of packaged sausage. You used to only be able to find basic pork varieties, but over the past several years we’ve noticed an expansion of offerings at the grocery store. Wild mushroom and herb, sweet apple and chicken, pesto with feta and spinach - the world’s your sausage oyster. But, for this recipe we reached for our go-to variety: Amylu’s roasted garlic and asiago. But, any Italian-ish cooked variety without a super strong flavor profile would work well here.

We are also living in a glorious age of mini and pre-cut veggies. Why spend time coring and slicing bell peppers when you can just throw these gorgeous, brightly hued mini ones onto the pan?

Final thoughts: don’t be scared of fennel. Though it has a sharp flavor when raw, roasting it mellows it into sweetness, which pairs nicely with the creaminess of the ricotta lends and the pop of acid from the vinegar.

Products recs:

Amylu’s sausage forever.

Swaps:

If you can’t find mini sweet peppers, you could sub roasted red pepper strips, pepperoncini, or these tiny peppadew peps we are extremely fond of.
If you’re just not a fan of peppers, swap in some cherry tomatoes.
Feel free to use pre-cooked meatballs, or vegan sausage if that’s what you have on hand.
We love fennel (especially roasted!), but not everyone is a fan. Swap in a red or sweet onion (cut the same way) if it’s not your jam.
Another white bean or even chickpeas would be fine instead of cannellini

Add-ons:

Some castelvetranos or another Italian olives would be v good here
Sprinkle a little parmesan and some chopped pistachios on at the end if you please.
Garnish with some chopped parsley, chives or basil if you have some lying around.
Serve with a handful of arugula or baby spinach if you want to up your veggie quotient.
To pump up the flavor a bit, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes or dried oregano.

Equipment:

Sheet pan
Parchment sheets (optional)
Cutting board
Serrated knife

Ingredients:

12 oz cooked Italian sausage
1 x 14-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans
1 large or 2 small heads of fennel
~1 pound of mini sweet peppers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 pint of ricotta
Crusty bread, for serving (optional, but good)

Assembly:

Heat the oven to 450˚F and line a sheet pan with parchment or aluminum (if desired).

Do your prep:

Cut your sausage into coins and toss them onto your sheet pan. Note: you could throw your links onto the pan whole, but slicing them ensures each bit gets golden and delicious.
Trim any stalks and fronds from your fennel bulb (save the fronds for garnish!), and peel the outer lay from your fennel bulb. Slice it in half through the root, then lay your halves flat, and cut each half into ½-inch wedges (along the striations). Toss those onto the sheet pan, too.
Drain and rinse your cannellini beans - onto the sheet pan they go.
Finally, drain and rinse your peppers and - you guessed it - toss those onto the sheet pan.

Drizzle everything with your olive oil and vinegar, then toss with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then spread the mixture evenly on your sheet pan (good job for the kids). Dollop the ricotta on top of the whole mess and drizzle with a teensy bit more olive oil.

Pop the tray into the oven, and roast, rotating halfway through, until everything is golden brown and soft - 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and dish into bowls. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve alongside some crusty bread.

Sheet Pan Sausage and Baby Pepps