Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce

Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Vegetarian Italian

Picture of Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce Recipe Photo: Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce Recipe
Rated 4 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
2 hr 0 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Intermediate
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Ingredients

Checca Sauce:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups, or 12 ounces), halved
  • 3 scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 8 fresh basil leaves
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Lentil Loaf:

  • 3/4 cup lentils (about 5 ounces)
  • 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice, rinsed well
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 celery rib, sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided (about 8 ounces total)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

For the Checca Sauce: Combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, basil, and oil in a processor. Pulse the tomatoes until they are coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree. Set aside. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

For the Lentil Loaf: Place the lentils in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring the water just to a boil over high heat. Carefully drain the boiling water and rinse the lentils. Meanwhile, in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the rice and return the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, cover the rice, and gently simmer without stirring for 10 minutes. Stir in the lentils, onion, carrot, and celery. Cover and continue cooking without stirring until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the corn over the rice and lentils and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the butter over a 10 by 4 1/2 by 3-inch loaf pan. In a heavy, large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a work surface and coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, gently mix the lentil mixture, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and half of the checca sauce. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a row over the lentil mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bake uncovered until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf into 2-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining checca sauce.

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Wine Suggestion for This Recipe

Merlot

Merlot

Jammy, earthy red wine

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 192 reviews

  • on January 23, 2012

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    W-O-W! Just made this - substantial, flavorful and great texture and perfumed the house with it's fabulous aroma! By far the best meatless meatloaf alternative I have made.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on December 24, 2011

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    it's fantastic .. made it for my veg friends and they loved it. . .The meateaters too loved it. .Must try recipe!!

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on November 25, 2011

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    I made this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner for the vegetarians in our family. It was an overwhelming hit with everyone, carnivore or vegetarian. I followed the suggestion of one reviewer and added an extra egg white to the recipe. I also was very careful to remove as much water from the spinach as humanly possible. This resulted in the loaf holding its shape and slicing well. I will definitely make this again and again.

    people found this review Helpful.
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