Honeycomb Pasta Bake Delight (Printer View)

Layered rigatoni filled with creamy cheese and baked under marinara for a golden finish.

# 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 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
07 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

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

# Method:

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, grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir until smooth.
04 - Stand cooked rigatoni upright, packed tightly in the prepared pan to fill the entire space.
05 - Fill a piping bag or zip-top bag with the cheese mixture. Pipe filling into each rigatoni tube until fully filled.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled rigatoni. Gently tap the pan to distribute the sauce between the tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese over the top.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before releasing the pan rim and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks so impressive when you slice into it that people always assume you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The contrast between the crispy top layer and the creamy filling inside is pure comfort in every bite.
  • Vegetarian, feeds a crowd, and actually tastes better the next day if you have leftovers.
02 -
  • If you cook the pasta too long it will collapse when baked and your honeycomb falls apart; slightly underdone is genuinely better here.
  • Use a piping bag for the filling rather than a spoon—it's worth the extra step because it keeps everything neat and fills the tubes evenly.
  • The pan must be deep enough to accommodate the standing pasta; a regular shallow baking dish won't work.
03 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper on the bottom of the pan—it's the difference between a beautiful slice and a crumbled mess.
  • If your springform pan isn't deep enough, a regular straight-sided cake pan works perfectly; just run a thin knife around the edge before trying to serve.
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