Sheet-Pan Sausage with Roasted Root Vegetables

From the garden

• 2½ lb mixed root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips…), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large red or yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 2 sprigs hardy herbs (rosemary, thyme, or sage), leaves stripped and chopped

From the pantry

• 1½ lb Italian sausage links
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional) — whisked with a spoonful of pan drippings for serving
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Cut the vegetables into even 1-inch chunks so they roast at the same pace — halve baby ones, quarter big ones.
2. Toss the roots and onion wedges on a large rimmed sheet pan with the olive oil, chopped herbs, a generous sprinkle of salt, and plenty of black pepper. Spread in a single layer — crowding steams instead of browns; use two pans if needed.
3. Roast 15 minutes, then stir the vegetables and nestle the sausage links among them.
4. Roast 18–20 minutes more, flipping the sausages halfway, until the sausage is browned and cooked through and the vegetables are tender inside with caramelized edges.
5. Rest 5 minutes, slice the sausage thickly, and serve straight from the pan — with the mustard-dripping sauce if you like.