Honeycomb Pasta Bake (Printable)

Rigatoni tubes filled with creamy cheese and baked golden under savory marinara sauce.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch springform or deep round pan with olive oil and line the base with parchment paper.
02 - Boil rigatoni in salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions until very al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
04 - Stand rigatoni upright in the prepared pan, packing tightly to fill completely.
05 - Pipe the cheese mixture into each pasta tube using a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled rigatoni, gently tapping the pan to distribute sauce between tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before releasing pan sides and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that guests think took way more effort than it actually did.
  • The upright tubes stay tender inside while the tops get gorgeously caramelized and golden.
  • It's entirely vegetarian but tastes indulgent enough that nobody misses the meat.
02 -
  • Undercooking the pasta is non-negotiable—overcooked rigatoni will collapse into mush when it stands upright and bakes through.
  • The egg in your cheese filling does something crucial: it prevents the mixture from oozing out the bottom of the tubes when heat hits it.
  • Marinara sauce temperature matters; some people heat theirs gently while others pour it cold—cold sauce slightly slows the top browning, so pour it hot if you want a darker crust.
03 -
  • Stand your rigatoni upright while it's still slightly warm—once it cools, the starch sets and they become harder to position without cracking.
  • Use a springform pan instead of a regular baking dish; the release mechanism means you'll never have to flip this or wrestle it out, and it looks more impressive when you set it on the table whole.
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