Honeycomb Pasta Cheese Bake (Printable)

Rigatoni tubes filled with creamy cheese, baked in marinara sauce until golden and bubbling.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound rigatoni pasta

→ Cheese Filling

02 - 12 ounces ricotta cheese
03 - 3.5 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
04 - 1.75 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
07 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

10 - 24 fluid ounces marinara sauce
11 - 5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How-To Steps:

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 instructions until very al dente. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth and uniform.
04 - Place cooked rigatoni tubes standing upright in the prepared pan, packed tightly to fill the entire space.
05 - Transfer cheese mixture to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the filling into each rigatoni tube until full.
06 - Evenly pour marinara sauce over the filled pasta tubes. Gently tap the pan to allow the sauce to settle between the rigatoni.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the sauce-covered pasta.
08 - Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 400°F.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
10 - Let the bake stand for 10 minutes before releasing the springform pan, slicing, and serving warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • That moment when you slide a serving wedge out and the honeycomb pattern stays intact feels like pulling off a magic trick everyone at the table will talk about
  • The pasta actually cooks IN the sauce as it bakes, so those top layers get this incredible soft-chewy texture while still holding their shape beautifully
02 -
  • Overcooking the pasta during boiling is the number one way to ruin this dish because those tubes will turn into mushy, collapsed straws instead of standing up proudly
  • Piping the filling into upright tubes is WAY easier than trying to stuff them individually before placing them in the pan and creates way less mess
03 -
  • If your cheese filling feels too thick to pipe easily, add exactly one teaspoon of milk or cream to loosen it up without making it runny
  • Position your oven rack in the center position so the top browns evenly without burning before the center is fully heated through
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