My Mom, Veronica, is pretty much a vegetarian these days. When she invites us over for "meatloaf," this is what we get—and I like it a lot; in fact, even Todd does. The lentils and the brown rice make it hearty while at the same time kind of fluffy and light. My favorite part about it is the fresh tomato sauce, which is almost like a salsa. Checca is a Southern Italian term for this fresh sauce, which is called by different names in different regions. Some of it goes into the lentil loaf and the rest is served alongside.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　

Sauce

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

　　3 scallions, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped

　　3 garlic cloves, chopped

　　8 fresh basil leaves

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

Lentil Loaf

Vegetable oil cooking spray

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 small white onion, finely chopped

　　1 medium carrot, shredded

　　1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

　　10 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 4 cups)

　　1 (15-ounce) can cooked lentils, rinsed and drained

　　2 cups cooked brown rice

　　1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

　　1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

　　1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　1 large egg white, lightly beaten

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 medium tomatoes, sliced

　　

For the sauce:

Step 1

In a food processor, combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, basil, oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse the tomatoes until they are coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree them. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.

　　

For the lentil loaf:

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Reserve the skillet.

　　

Step 4

In the same large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Add to the onion mixture.

　　

Step 5

Add the lentils, brown rice, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, the corn, basil, eggs, egg white, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup of the sauce to the cooled onion mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in 2 rows over the lentil mixture, covering the top completely. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

　　

Step 6

Bake until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf (still in the pan) into 1-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining sauce.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 388 Calories

　　17 g Protein

　　41 g Carbohydrates

　　11 g Dietary Fiber

　　7 g Sugar

　　19 g Total Fat

　　5 g Saturated Fat

　　631 mg Sodium

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by _Giada's Feel Good Food_

　　Reprinted from Giada's Feel Good Food Copyright © 2013 by GDL Foods Inc. Photographs copyright © 2013 by Amy Neunsinger. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House LLC.GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy award-winning star of Food Network's Everyday Italian, Giada at Home, and Giada in Paradise; a judge on Food Network Star; a contributing correspondent for NBC's Today show; and the author of six New York Times bestselling books. She attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and worked at Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant before starting her own catering company, GDL Foods. Born in Rome, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade.