one-pan plums and sausage

I love the concept of one-pan dinners. One of my favorite dinners is more of a guideline than a recipe. Coat some vegetables with olive oil and spices, throw on a large baking sheet, and top with a protein.

A couple weeks ago, my brother hosted me for dinner and made Sticky sweet-and-sour plums and sausages. Normally I fall head over heels for Ottolenghi recipes. But I wanted less potato and more of the sticky, sweet, and sour plums.

I took the concept of using plums and sausages from Ottolenghi, but applied my general guidelines for a one-pan dinner. I played with the proportions (more plums, no potatoes) to come up with a tray bake that lets the roasted plums shine.

Plums are a summer stone fruit, but you can buy them at stores year-round. They vary on the spectrum between sweet and sour, but roasting them brings out the sweetness. I added lemon juice for acidity, and a hint of honey to bring out the sweetness.

Pork and fruit are a classic combination. I use a spicy Italian pork sausage that plays well with the sweet fruit. But you can use any type of sausage that you like.

I serve this with a simple green salad and some bread to soak up the sauce.

Ingredients

8 pork sausages (or any type of sausage you prefer)

10 cloves of garlic, smashed

~2 lbs plums, halved

2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

¼ cup of olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon of honey

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the halved plums, red onions, and garlic to the bowl and toss to coat. 

Spead the plums and red onion on a large baking sheet or cast iron pan.

Place the sausages on top of the fruit mixture and bake for 35 – 40 minutes until everything is nice and brown. The plums will be broken down and the sauce will be bubbly. Remove from the heat and garnish with torn fresh basil.