Honeycomb Pasta Bake (Print View)

Creamy cheese-filled rigatoni baked under rich marinara with golden melted topping.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb rigatoni pasta

→ Cheese Filling

02 - 12 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 3.5 oz grated mozzarella cheese
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 cheese
12 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tbsp olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat 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 salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions until very al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - Combine ricotta, grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Stir until smooth and well blended.
04 - Place rigatoni tubes upright in the prepared pan, packing them tightly to cover the base evenly.
05 - Transfer cheese mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner cut off. Pipe filling into each rigatoni tube completely.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled pasta. Tap the pan gently to distribute sauce between tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the sauce layer.
08 - Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Allow the bake to rest for 10 minutes before removing the springform pan sides and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly short.
  • Every bite is perfectly balanced between creamy cheese filling, tender pasta, and tangy marinara sauce.
  • The presentation is restaurant-quality, which means it works just as well for a casual dinner with friends as it does for impressing your in-laws.
02 -
  • The 10-minute rest at the end isn't optional—it's what keeps your slices from collapsing into a molten puddle on the plate.
  • Undercooking the pasta in step 2 is non-negotiable because it will continue cooking in the oven and finish at exactly the right texture; if you cook it fully before baking, it becomes mushy.
03 -
  • If your springform pan doesn't seal perfectly or you're worried about sauce leaking, place it on a sheet pan with a slight lip to catch any drips—this also makes transferring the hot pan infinitely easier.
  • Make sure your marinara sauce is the right consistency before using it; if it's too thin, it will run through the pasta rather than cling to it, so let it simmer for a few minutes first to reduce slightly.
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