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!
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.
Nutrition facts are only estimates.StorageStore the roasted vegetables and meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the whipped ricotta separately in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the vegetables and meatballs in the oven at 375F for 10 minutes or in the air fryer at 375F for 6 minutes to bring back the caramelized texture. Avoid the microwave as it will make the vegetables soft and the meatballs rubbery. Assemble with fresh cold whipped ricotta after reheating. Not recommended for freezing once assembled.