Honeycomb Pasta Bake (Printable)

Upright rigatoni stuffed with creamy cheeses, baked under marinara sauce for a golden finish.

# What You'll 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 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep round pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
02 - Boil rigatoni in salted water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir until smooth and well blended.
04 - Stand rigatoni upright in the prepared pan, packed tightly to fill the entire base.
05 - Fill a piping bag or zip-top bag with the cheese mixture and pipe it into each pasta tube until full.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled pasta, gently tapping the pan so sauce settles between tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the surface.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Allow to rest 10 minutes before releasing springform and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely stunning when sliced, with those perfect golden cheese-filled tubes that make people think you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The texture contrast—creamy filling, tender pasta, tangy sauce, crispy cheese top—hits every note your palate craves.
  • You can assemble it ahead and bake it when guests arrive, making entertaining feel genuinely relaxed.
  • It's vegetarian-friendly but hearty enough to satisfy anyone who claims they need meat on their plate.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way to package instructions—those 2 minutes of undercooked time make the difference between tubes that fall apart and tubes that hold their shape perfectly.
  • If your cheese filling feels too loose after mixing, the pasta will slide around as it bakes; if it feels too thick, piping becomes a wrestling match—aim for the texture of soft butter.
03 -
  • If your piping bag keeps getting clogged, warm the cheese filling slightly so it flows more easily—but not so warm it melts the pasta.
  • The secret to preventing a watery outcome is using whole milk ricotta and making sure your marinara sauce isn't too thin; if yours is, simmer it uncovered for 5 minutes first to reduce it slightly.
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