Sheet-Pan Sausage with Broccoli and Zucchini

1. 1.Set the oven to 220°C and put the empty sheet pan in while it heats.
2. 2.A screaming-hot tray is the difference between roasted and steamed: the vegetables start searing the second they land, which is what gives browned edges instead of a soft, pale bake.
3. 3.Use the largest tray you own so everything fits in one layer with space between the pieces.

💡 Crowding is the main way sheet-pan dinners fail; use two trays rather than piling everything onto one.

• 500 g broccoli florets⇄
• 400 g zucchini⇄
• 100 g red onion⇄
• 3 tbsp olive oil⇄
• 1 tsp garlic powder⇄
• 1 tsp smoked paprika⇄
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs⇄
• 1 tsp salt⇄
• 0.5 tsp black pepper⇄

1. 1.Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets, the zucchini into thick half moons about 1 cm, and the onion into wedges.
2. 2.Toss everything in a large bowl with the olive oil and all the seasonings until every piece glistens.
3. 3.Thick zucchini chunks hold their shape at high heat; thin slices collapse into mush before the broccoli is done.

💡 Toss with your hands; it coats more evenly than a spoon and you can feel dry spots.

• 600 g smoked sausage⇄

1. 1.Cut the smoked sausage into coins about 1.5 cm thick, on a slight diagonal for more surface area.
2. 2.Diagonal cuts mean more edges, and more edges mean more crispy browned surface after roasting.
3. 3.Smoked sausage is already cooked, so the oven time is really about rendering a little fat and crisping the outside while it seasons the vegetables around it.

💡 If your sausage is very lean, add the extra tablespoon of oil to the vegetables so nothing roasts dry.

1. 1.Pull the hot tray from the oven carefully and spread the vegetables on it in one layer; you should hear an immediate sizzle.
2. 2.Scatter the sausage coins between the vegetables.
3. 3.Roast at 220°C for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the broccoli edges are charred in spots, the zucchini is golden, and the sausage is browned and slightly crisped at the cut faces.

💡 The charred broccoli edges are not burnt; that bitter-crisp char is exactly the flavor you want.

1. 1.Let the tray rest for 2 to 3 minutes out of the oven.
2. 2.This brief pause lets the sausage juices settle back and the vegetables firm up so they lift cleanly instead of falling apart.
3. 3.Taste a piece of broccoli and add a final pinch of salt if needed; roasted vegetables can take more salt than you think.
4. 4.Serve hot, straight from the tray.

💡 Leftovers reheat brilliantly in a hot pan with a fried egg on top for tomorrow's lunch.