Chef notes
In the early months of fall when juicy tomatoes are still to be found, this simple sheet pan dinner is a great recipe to add to your meal plan. We all know and love sheet pan dinners because they are easy to make and quick to clean up, but this one has a ton of flavor to boot. All of the flavorful fat that renders from the sausage links flavors the other ingredients, including the kale, tomatoes and canned white beans. It takes just 30 minutes to bake and only 10 minutes to put together. What more could we ask for?
Start by getting the sausages in the oven. While those cook, you can prep the rest of the ingredients. And by prep, we mean toss the kale and cherry tomatoes with some olive oil and red pepper flakes — we told you it was easy! The vegetables are added to the sheet pan alongside the sausages to roast. Once the kale has started to crisp around its frilly edges and the tomatoes have begun to burst, you can stir in the cannellini beans to warm them through.
This recipe is also very versatile. Feeling spicy? Use hot sausage. If you prefer something more mellow and not too overpowering, opt for sweet sausage links. If other leafy greens look good at the grocery store or farm stand, use those instead of kale. Hearty ones like mustard and collard greens will cook at the same time as kale and are both super nutritious. Other beans can be used instead of cannellini beans — kidney beans or chickpeas will both get the job done. Serve everything with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy dinner with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
- 1 bunch green kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped or 1 (5-ounce) package pre-chopped kale
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F. Arrange the sausage links on 1/3 of a large rimmed sheet pan and cook for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
2.In a large bowl, combine the kale and tomatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add the vegetables to the remaining 2/3 of the sheet pans and cook for 15 minutes, until the kale begins to crisp and the tomatoes are tender.
3.Gently stir the beans into the vegetables and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the beans are heated through. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the vegetables and serve immediately.
