Honeycomb Pasta Cheese Bake (Print View)

Rigatoni tubes filled with creamy cheese blend, baked under marinara sauce for a golden finish.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb rigatoni

→ Cheese Filling

02 - 12 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 3.5 oz grated mozzarella
04 - 1.75 oz grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
07 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

10 - 24 oz marinara sauce
11 - 5 oz shredded mozzarella
12 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tbsp olive oil

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep round baking pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
02 - Boil rigatoni in heavily salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions to achieve very al dente texture. Drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - In a medium bowl, blend ricotta, grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Place rigatoni tubes standing upright in the prepared pan, packing tightly to occupy the entire base evenly.
05 - Transfer cheese filling into a piping bag or resealable bag with corner cut off. Pipe filling into each rigatoni tube until fully filled.
06 - Evenly pour marinara sauce over the filled rigatoni. Gently tap the pan to allow sauce to settle between pasta tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the sauce layer.
08 - Loosely cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Let the bake rest for 10 minutes before releasing the springform pan sides and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's visually dramatic enough to make guests think you spent hours, but it's really just assembled and baked.
  • Every bite delivers that perfect balance of creamy filling, tender pasta, and tangy sauce that somehow feels both comforting and special.
  • The leftovers reheat beautifully, and honestly, they taste even better the next day when all the flavors have settled in together.
02 -
  • If your pasta isn't al dente when you start, it will turn to mush by the time it bakes—resist the urge to cook it all the way through initially.
  • The filling needs to be thick enough to stay in the tubes; if it seems too loose, let it sit for a few minutes or add another tablespoon of Parmesan to firm it up.
  • Don't skip the resting time at the end—it's the difference between a melty, cohesive dish and one that falls apart when you slice it.
03 -
  • Use a piping bag instead of trying to spoon the filling—it gives you control and makes sure each tube gets filled evenly without overflow.
  • If your pan is shallow, you can arrange the rigatoni in two layers; just be mindful that the top layer will cook faster, so you might cover only the bottom half with foil initially.
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