Honeycomb Pasta Cheese Bake (Printable version)

Rigatoni tubes filled with creamy cheese, baked with marinara sauce and golden cheese topping.

# What you 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

# How to Make It:

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 directions to achieve very al dente texture. Drain and toss with olive oil to avoid sticking.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and evenly incorporated.
04 - Stand rigatoni upright in the prepared pan, packing tightly to fill the entire base with minimal gaps.
05 - Transfer cheese mixture into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off, then pipe filling into each rigatoni tube until fully stuffed.
06 - Pour marinara sauce evenly over the stuffed pasta. Gently tap the pan to help sauce settle between tubes, then sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Parmesan over the surface.
07 - Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes, or until the cheese topping is bubbly and golden brown.
09 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before releasing the springform and slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Every single tube delivers its own perfect pocket of cheese and sauce—no more uneven bites.
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the actual hands-on time is barely half an hour.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have melted into each other.
02 -
  • Undercooking the pasta by exactly two minutes is non-negotiable; it's the difference between pasta that stays together and pasta that turns into mush.
  • If your filling is too thin, add another egg or a tablespoon of breadcrumbs; it needs to hold its shape when piped, not ooze out the sides.
  • The resting time isn't optional—it's what lets the whole structure become a unified slice instead of tumbling tubes.
03 -
  • If your pan isn't a springform, a deep cast iron or ceramic dish works, though you'll be scooping rather than slicing—still delicious, just messier.
  • Make the filling and cook the pasta the morning of, then assemble and bake when guests are almost there; it comes out of the oven at exactly the right moment.
  • The pan will be extremely hot when it comes out of the oven, so give yourself time to set it down safely and breathe for a moment.
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