Honeycomb Pasta Cheese Bake (Printer View)

Rigatoni tubes filled with a creamy cheese blend, baked under a savory marinara topping.

# 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 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

# Method:

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 for 2 minutes less than package directions until very al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and uniform.
04 - Stand rigatoni tubes upright in the prepared pan, packed tightly to fill the space completely.
05 - Transfer cheese mixture to a piping or zip-top bag with a snipped corner and fill each rigatoni tube.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the filled pasta and gently tap pan to distribute sauce between tubes.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the sauce-covered pasta.
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 brown.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before releasing pan sides and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-fancy but comes together in about an hour, which means you can actually pull it off on a weeknight.
  • The rigatoni tubes hold filling perfectly, so every bite has that creamy surprise factor that makes people slow down and actually taste their food.
  • It's vegetarian-friendly but deeply satisfying, the kind of dish that sticks with you without feeling heavy.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way through—that two-minute undercut is crucial because the pasta keeps cooking in the oven, and overcooked rigatoni turns into mush.
  • If your filling seems too thick to pipe, you can thin it slightly with a spoonful of milk, but don't go overboard or it'll leak out of the tubes during baking.
  • The pan will be hot and the cheese will still be setting for a few minutes after you pull it out, so that 10-minute rest isn't optional—it's what keeps your slice from falling apart.
03 -
  • If your piping bag keeps getting clogged, try chopping your herbs a bit finer and making sure nothing grainy from the cheese is blocking the opening—smooth filling pipes like a dream.
  • A springform pan or cake ring makes releasing this so much easier than a regular baking dish, and the clean presentation you get when you remove those sides is worth the small effort of using one.
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