Sheet Pan Meatballs and Vegetables is my new favorite weeknight dinner! Juicy meatballs, roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, and crispy chickpeas all cooked together in a smoky Calabrian chili and lemon sauce, served over the creamiest whipped ricotta you have ever made. One pan, 30 minutes!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Sheet Pan Meatballs & Vegetables
🕒 Ready In: ~ 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 4 servings
🍽 Calories: ~ 612 per serving (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Meatballs, sweet potato, cauliflower, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon
👌 Difficulty: Easy
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This recipe came together from a love of bold Mediterranean flavors all on one plate. And you know I love a good sheet pan haha! The Calabrian chili paste brings a fruity Italian heat that is completely different from regular chili flakes, the sweet potato and cauliflower caramelize beautifully in the smoky lemon sauce, and the whipped ricotta ties everything together.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
One pan, 30 minutes: Less cleanup, more time at the table.
That Calabrian chili sauce though: It is bold, slightly spicy, and coats every single thing on that pan.
The whipped ricotta is non-negotiable: Cool, creamy, garlicky, and blended silky smooth. It is the base that makes everything taste like it belongs together.
Make-ahead friendly: Freeze the meatballs in large batches and this dinner comes together in minutes on a busy night.
Sheet Pan Meatballs & Vegetables Video
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This is part of my no boring sheet pan dinner series! You can check out the rest of the recipes in the series here: Sheet Pan Chicken Kebabs, Sheet Pan Panko Crusted Salmon, Sheet Pan Lamb Chops, Sheet Pan Honey Harissa Chicken, Sheet Pan Stuffed Pepper Rings, Sheet Pan Mediterranean "Nachos", Sheet Pan Red Pepper & Garlic Drumsticks, Sheet Pan Beef Shawarma!
Ingredient Notes
Meatballs: Your choice here; both options are great. For a fast weeknight version, store-bought frozen meatballs go straight onto the pan and cook through in 30 minutes. If you want to take it up a level, the meatballs in my Sheet Pan Baked Gnocchi are what I use and what I recommend. I make them in large batches and freeze them so they are always ready to go on a busy night. You can also use my Ricotta Meatballs. Both are delicious!
Calabrian Chili: The ingredient that makes this sauce so delish and slightly spicy. Calabrian chili is made from chilies grown in Calabria in the toe of Italy's boot. It has a fruity, slightly smoky heat that is deeper and more complex than regular chili flakes or sriracha. One tablespoon in the sauce gives you warmth that builds gradually rather than hitting you all at once.
Sweet Potato: Cut them to a consistent thickness so they cook evenly alongside the cauliflower and chickpeas. If some pieces are much thicker than others, you will end up with some undercooked and some overdone.
Cauliflower: Fresh florets cut to roughly the same size as the sweet potato pieces. Cauliflower roasts beautifully at 400F and picks up a golden caramelized exterior when it has enough space on the pan. Do not crowd the vegetables or they will steam rather than roast.
Chickpeas: Pat them dry and they will come out of the oven with that perfect slightly crispy exterior that adds a great textural contrast to the tender, sweet potato and cauliflower.
The Whipped Ricotta: The feta adds a briny tang that plain ricotta does not have on its own, and the garlic and dill make it taste distinctly Mediterranean. It is served cool against the hot roasted vegetables and that temperature contrast is one of the best things about this dish.
Pro tip
The Secret to the Perfect Veggies
Do not crowd the sheet pan. Everything needs space to roast rather than steam. A crowded pan is the most common reason sheet pan dinners come out soft and pale instead of golden and caramelized.
Substitutions & Variations
No Calabrian chili paste? Harissa is the best substitute and brings a similar fruity heat with a North African spin. Red pepper flakes work in a pinch but use only half a teaspoon as they are sharper and less complex than Calabrian chili paste.
No sweet potato? Butternut squash cut into similar sized pieces works beautifully and roasts in the same time. Regular potatoes work too but will not bring the same sweetness to balance the chili heat.
No fresh cauliflower? Frozen cauliflower florets work here. Just make sure they are fully thawed and patted dry before going on the pan or they will release too much moisture and steam rather than roast.
Want to add more vegetables? Red bell pepper or zucchini both work well here and are very much at home in this Italian Mediterranean flavor profile. Cut them to a similar size so everything cooks evenly. If you love a vegetable forward sheet pan situation, my Sheet Pan Garlic Shrimp uses a similar high heat roasting method.
FAQ
The pan was most likely overcrowded. When vegetables are too close together, they trap steam and cook rather than roast. Make sure everything is in a single layer with a little space between pieces. Use two sheet pans if necessary.
Yes. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and actually gets better as the garlic and dill flavors develop. Take it out of the fridge right before serving so it is cold but spreadable.
I link one in the recipe card. You can also find it in Italian specialty stores, Whole Foods, and most well-stocked grocery stores carry it.
More Sheet Pan Recipes You'll Love
- Sheet Pan Beef Shawarma22 Minutes
- Sheet Pan Breakfast Burritos45 Minutes
- Sheet Pan Baked Panko Crusted Salmon29 Minutes
- Sheet Pan Baked Lamb Chops40 Minutes
⭐️ Recipe
Sheet Pan Meatballs & Vegetables
Ingredients
Sheet Pan
- 20 meatballs frozen or homemade
- 20 oz fresh cauliflower florets
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into half moons
- 1 can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted dry
Sauce
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove finely grated
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili
Whipped rRcotta
- 11 oz whole milk ricotta
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 large garlic clove
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For serving
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
Make the whipped ricotta
- Add the ricotta, feta, garlic clove, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Blend on high for about 60 seconds until completely smooth and silky with no visible lumps. Scrape down the sides halfway through and blend again. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and garlic as needed. The whipped ricotta should be creamy, tangy, and garlicky enough to taste great on its own. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.1 garlic clove, 11 oz whole milk ricotta, ⅓ cup feta cheese, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, Salt and black pepper to taste, 2 tablespoon fresh dill
Prep the vegetables
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into half moon shapes roughly half an inch thick. Cut the cauliflower into florets similar in size to the sweet potato pieces. Drain and rinse the chickpeas then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Dry chickpeas are crispy chickpeas. Wet chickpeas are sad chickpeas.20 oz fresh cauliflower florets, 2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 can chickpeas
Make the sauce
- In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, finely grated garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and Calabrian chili paste until fully combined. Taste it. It should be bright, smoky, and have a gentle building heat from the Calabrian chili.⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 large garlic clove, 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili
Build the sheet pan
- Spread the cauliflower florets, sweet potato half moons, and dried chickpeas across a large sheet pan in as even a layer as possible. Pour two thirds of the sauce over the vegetables and toss well until every piece is evenly coated. Spread back out into a single layer making sure nothing is piled on top of each other.
- Arrange the meatballs on top of or alongside the vegetables across the pan. Pour the remaining one third of the sauce specifically over the meatballs so they stay moist and caramelize as they cook.20 meatballs
Bake
- Bake at 400F for 30 minutes until the sweet potato is fork tender, the cauliflower has golden caramelized edges, the chickpeas are slightly crispy, and the meatballs are cooked through and golden. If you are using homemade frozen meatballs they do not need to be thawed first. They will cook through in the 30 minutes. If using store bought frozen meatballs check the package instructions to confirm they can go straight from frozen to the oven.
Serve
- Remove from the oven and let the pan rest for 2 minutes. Spoon a generous layer of the cold whipped ricotta onto each plate and spread it out slightly. Pile the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and meatballs on top. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil right before serving. The contrast between the cool creamy ricotta and the hot roasted vegetables is what makes this dish.Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!