Eggplant Pasta casserole--need advice ASAP: cook ahead or not?

[Katie Meadow]

Because it is labor intensive to put together there's no way I can wait until tomorrow to construct this casserole We have a long travel day and then early dinner. Here's what it is: Frank Bruni's mother's baked penne with eggplant and tomato sauce. It has alternate layers of sliced eggplant that has been sautéed with a light batter as for eggplant parm, then layers of red-sauced pre-cooked penne. There is a minimal amount of grated pecorino in it. I guess what worries me about assembling it this evening and then waiting to cook it until tomorrow afternoon is that the eggplant slices might suffer, get soggy, whatever. You think?

If I cook it ahead tonight then I would just reheat it in the oven before dinner; it is large, and will probably take half or more than half the time to reheat as it will to cook. It gets baked with foil for about 45 minutes. I haven't made it in a year, but it's a very good dish.

I've already assembled it, so the question is do I just throw it in the fridge and bake it before dinner on xmas eve or do I bake it tonight and reheat it tomorrow. Eek!

[Deryn]

What is the texture of the eggplant in the finished dish when assembled and baked immediately? Even if it is in a batter, once covered by sauce, I suspect that it ends up soft, correct? If that is the case, I don't think it really matters whether you bake tonight and put in the fridge or fridge it unbaked tonight and bake it tomorrow (although I personally might opt for baking tomorrow so it will be 'freshly baked' as opposed to 'reheated').

Edited December 24, 2014 by Deryn (log)

[djyee100]

Kinda like eggplant parmigiana with penne, isn't it? Agree, the eggplant will be soft either way. I wouldn't expect it to be soggy or mushy, though. Other than that, if you cook it now and reheat, the flavors will meld overnight and the pasta will be softer in texture. Cook it tomorrow, the flavors will be sharper, but the texture of the pasta will be more toothsome. That's my guess.  Sounds delicious  either way.

[Darienne]

If it has eggplant in it, then I will love it.  Good luck.

[Katie Meadow]

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm gonna bake it once, before dinner tomorrow. And yes, it satisfies my desire for eggplant parm without the layers of mozz, which I need to avoid. Frank Bruni says it's his mother's go-to recipe for family gatherings. And it works for mine, since half my husband's relatives are strictly veg. Travel safe the next two days!

[Paul Bacino]

I would opted for fresh baked..as opposed to reheat..otherwise ..essentially your cook will be a reheat anyway..as to all is cooked before assembly

[Shel_B]

Because it is labor intensive to put together there's no way I can wait until tomorrow to construct this casserole We have a long travel day and then early dinner. Here's what it is: Frank Bruni's mother's baked penne with eggplant and tomato sauce. It has alternate layers of sliced eggplant that has been sautéed with a light batter as for eggplant parm, then layers of red-sauced pre-cooked penne. There is a minimal amount of grated pecorino in it. I guess what worries me about assembling it this evening and then waiting to cook it until tomorrow afternoon is that the eggplant slices might suffer, get soggy, whatever. You think?

If I cook it ahead tonight then I would just reheat it in the oven before dinner; it is large, and will probably take half or more than half the time to reheat as it will to cook. It gets baked with foil for about 45 minutes. I haven't made it in a year, but it's a very good dish.

I've already assembled it, so the question is do I just throw it in the fridge and bake it before dinner on xmas eve or do I bake it tonight and reheat it tomorrow. Eek!

 

This recipe sounds interesting.  I poked around to find it - never heard of Bruni before - and am wondering if this is the recipe:  http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2009/8/26/frank-brunis-eggplant-macaroni.mobi

[Katie Meadow]

Yep, that's it. So now you know who Frank Bruni is. He is still a regular at the NYT, only not food critic. When the Times originally published the recipe it was attributed to his mother, Leslie, I think. Anyway, it's a keeper. I don't do the eggplant exactly like she does. I do it the way I learned to make eggplant parm, which is to mix the eggs and flour and make a dipping batter: approx 1 egg for every 2 T flour. And I use about half as much hard cheese, but that's just me. Now I'm off to the beach for xmas eve with my husband's family. Tomorrow I celebrate xmas by starting the day with bagels and lox, then going to a movie, then maybe eating out Chinese. No cooking!

[Shel_B]

Yep, that's it. So now you know who Frank Bruni is. He is still a regular at the NYT, only not food critic. When the Times originally published the recipe it was attributed to his mother, Leslie, I think. Anyway, it's a keeper. I don't do the eggplant exactly like she does. I do it the way I learned to make eggplant parm, which is to mix the eggs and flour and make a dipping batter: approx 1 egg for every 2 T flour. And I use about half as much hard cheese, but that's just me. Now I'm off to the beach for xmas eve with my husband's family. Tomorrow I celebrate xmas by starting the day with bagels and lox, then going to a movie, then maybe eating out Chinese. No cooking!

 

Thanks so much.  I added your comments to the downloaded recipe.

 

Enjoy your holiday at the beach ...