Angela found this recipe in Bon Appetit years ago in search of a vegetarian main dish worthy of a holiday meal and tweaked it a bit for more flavor and an easier time in the kitchen.
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Topping Ingredients
4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
1-2 cups Milk or cream
Kosher salt
Filling and Sauce Ingredients
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup French green lentils
8 garlic cloves, divided with 2 Tbsp. chopped and rest whole
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
At least 5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 cups Pinot Noir
8 cups vegetable broth (mushroom stock is great too)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons white miso or 2 tsp. soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups root vegetables peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (carrots, squash, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, etc.)
1 cup pearl onions, halved (shallots or another type of onion works too)
2 sprigs rosemary, thyme
2 cups bite-size pieces mixed fresh mushrooms
¼ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and sage)
Preparation (calls for a big glass of wine for the chef)
ROASTED VEGGIES
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss vegetables and pearl onions with 2 Tbsp. oil, 5 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast, stirring once, until tender, 20–25 minutes. Discard rosemary. Transfer garlic cloves to a small bowl; mash well with a fork and stir into sauce.
MASHED POTATOES
In a large pot, bring well salted water to a boil over high heat. Gently add potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance. Drain potatoes well and press potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or colander into a large bowl (if you only have a masher, mash away). Heat butter and milk before stirring into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt.
LENTILS
Soak dried porcini in 3 cups hot water; set aside. Combine lentils, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15–20 minutes. Drain lentils and discard herbs. Cover and set aside or refrigerate
SAUCE
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is caramelized, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the wine and bay leaves to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in porcini, slowly pouring porcini soaking liquid into pan but leaving any sediment behind. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 45 minutes. To thicken, prep cornstarch slurry by stirring 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to dissolve. Bring sauce to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in miso or soy sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Use a 3-qt. baking dish or multiple smaller baking dishes
Arrange lentils in an even layer in a baking dish set on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Toss roasted vegetables with fresh mushrooms and chopped herbs; layer on top of lentils. Pour sauce over vegetables. Spoon potato mixture evenly over. (Melty cheese on top is an option)
Bake until browned and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.